Google’s Tips For Moving To A New Website Without SEO

Google’s Tips For Moving To A New Website Without SEO Issues

During a recent segment of Ask Googlebot, John Mueller, a Google Search Advocate, addressed a common worry among small business owners.

When asked if business owners should delete their old site when the new one goes live, here’s what Mueller advises:

Make Consistent Changes:Inaccurate information such as differing business hours or addresses on both websites can lead to customer frustration and hinder search engines' ability to accurately index and rank pages.
Ensure the Oldfer Site is No Longer Public: In order to deliver optimal user experience and improve SEO performance, it is essential to make sure that the previous website is no longer accessible to the public or has been updated to reflect the most current information.
Implement Redirects:Mueller further suggests that it is important that you use 301 redirects to guide visitors and search engines from the old pages to the new ones. This not only helps users locate the right website but also enables search engines to transfer any current signals to the new domain, potentially enhancing its position. Stressing the importance of changing the redirects, Mueller further suggested that redirect implementation should done with the help of a web developer or an SEO expert.

When Redirects Are Not an Option

Mueller also talked about a few other options for handling old websites if the redirects to a new domain are not happening.

He also assured that if neither of the mentioned options were effective, the new website would not face any penalties from search engines due to the presence of outdated content on the old domain. However, it was also highlighted that both the old and new websites might continue to show up in search results for a period of time. This situation may require clarification for users who come across the old content while searching.

After The Transition

Once you’re done with the transition, you’ll want to closely monitor if each operation is going smoothly. Here are a few approaches/techniques you can use to keep an eye on the proper functioning of the new site:

Keep a record of search engine rankings to detect any sudden dips indicating problems with the transition.
Use analytics software to verify that redirects are operating properly and that traffic is directed to the correct destinations.
Inform your users about the transition through emails, social media, website announcements, etc so that they are aware of the transition and not taken by surprise.

Conclusion:

Moving to a whale new website is part of a major change for a company. From logos, to links, to media, handling such transitions carefully is essential for your search engine rankings as it gives your users a continuous experience.

Mueller’s guiding points and a little bit of useful information sprinkled in the blog will surely assist you if you’re thinking of making a website shift.

If you’re struggling to keep up with the SEO while transitioning to a new site, contact Conqueri Digital.

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