Moving your WordPress website to a new domain is a significant decision that, if not handled correctly, can negatively impact your SEO rankings. Search engines associate your domain with authority, backlinks, and rankings, so a poorly executed migration could result in traffic loss.
Fortunately, with WordPress Pivot, you can migrate your site seamlessly while preserving your SEO rankings. This guide will walk you through the best practices for moving your WordPress site to a new domain without losing SEO rankings.
Why Move to a New Domain?
You may need to migrate to a new domain for several reasons:
- Rebranding your business
- Switching to a better domain name
- Merging multiple websites
- Moving to a more secure or region-specific domain (.com to .org, etc.)
Regardless of the reason, maintaining SEO rankings should be a top priority.
Step-by-Step Guide to Moving WordPress to a New Domain
Backup Your Website
Before making any changes, create a complete backup of your website, including:
- Database
- WordPress files (themes, plugins, media, etc.)
- .htaccess and wp-config.php files
Tools like All-in-One WP Migration or Duplicator can help with this process.
Set Up the New Domain and Hosting
- Register your new domain if you haven’t already.
- Set up hosting for the new domain.
- Create a staging environment (optional but recommended) to test the migration before going live.
Migrate Your WordPress Website
You can use migration plugins or do it manually:
Using a Migration Plugin
- Install and activate Duplicator or All-in-One WP Migration.
- Create a package of your current website.
- Upload the package to the new domain and run the installer.
Manual Migration
- Export the database and import it into the new domain’s database.
- Copy WordPress files via FTP/SFTP.
- Update the wp-config.php file with the new database credentials.
Update URLs in the Database
Your site may still reference the old domain. Use Better Search Replace or WP-CLI to update URLs.
- Search for oldsite.com and replace it with newsite.com.
- Update image paths and internal links.
Set Up 301 Redirects
301 redirects tell search engines that your site has permanently moved and pass SEO value to the new domain.
- Edit the .htaccess file on the old domain:
RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^oldsite\.com$ [OR]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www\.oldsite\.com$
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://www.newsite.com/$1 [R=301,L]
- Use Redirection Plugin if you prefer a plugin-based solution.
Notify Google About the Domain Change
Update Google Search Console
- Add and verify your new domain in Google Search Console.
- Use the Change of Address tool to notify Google of the domain migration.
- Submit a new XML sitemap with updated URLs.
Update Google Analytics
- Change the domain in Admin > Property Settings.
- Keep old data but ensure tracking works on the new domain.
Monitor SEO Performance
- Track rankings using Google Search Console
- Check for 404 errors and fix broken links.
- Ensure pages are correctly indexed in search results.
How WordPress Pivot Can Help
Migrating your WordPress website can be complex, but WordPress Pivot makes it effortless. Our services include:
- Zero-downtime migrations
- Complete SEO preservation with proper redirects
- SSL setup and domain validation
- Thorough post-migration testing
- Dedicated support throughout the migration
Conclusion
Migrating your WordPress website to a new domain doesn’t have to hurt your SEO. Follow these best practices, or let the experts at WordPress Pivot handle your migration for a smooth, secure, and SEO-friendly transition.
Contact WordPress Pivot today for a seamless migration experience!