Website Migration Services

Our Process

Website migration can take two main forms. The first is simply moving to a new site, the second is moving to a rebranded site and a different domain. Both of these processes carry a lot of potential problems when it comes to maintaining search engine rankings and traffic as well as users being able to continue to use the site. No matter how amazing a new site is and how good the development process has been, pushing it live without proper consideration for SEO can be disastorous. Trust us, we have seen some nightmare situations and been brought in far too late to avoid missing out on rankings and traffic.

We offer web designers and agencies a range of migration services to ensure the client site goes live without a hitch, without losing rankings or that all important search traffic. We are able to analyse and consult on the site build and highlight potential issues before it goes live thus saving time, money, and embarrassment when things go wrong.

Traffic and Key Page Assessment

We can build a picture of the most important pages driving organic traffic and conversions. By isolating these pages on the existing live site we can help inform and correct any potential changes to the new site that may jeopardise these important touch points. Our reports show the top pages, why they rank, what they rank for and more we then corss reference this data dagainst the new site before it goes live. By doing this we can highlight gaps, pages that have been removed or changed so much they will no longer perform. This can then be brought into the dev process and the new site can be corrected to avoid any loss of position or traffic.

Redirects

Creating and submitting a redirect file can seem like a simple thing. However, it is one of those processes that can be "done" or DONE! In many cases the redirects are left to someone to do at the last minute. Often a huge number of pages are redirected to the homepage or other generic pages without any thought as to how Google will view this. Our team are here to carefully pick through important pages, pages that may have been removed, and systematically put in place a detailed redirect file. In cases where critical pages are missing, we will flag them up and suggest a course of action. We can also check and approve existing redirect files to make sure everything is correct. Getting the redirects right can mean the difference between a smooth migration and a total nightmare.

Pre-Flight checks

We are on hand to run a gamut of checks and tests to make sure the dev site is safe to go live. It can often be small issues that cause problems post launch and hassle for the client. It never looks good on an agency to have to fix a live site. We can help highlight any weaknesses and issues internally before the site goes live ensuring that when it does, it all goes smoothly.

Post-Flight Checks

While we can make sure there are no technical issues prior to launch we cannot always be sure how Google will react. This is especially the case with re-branding or where a client is removing a range of services or content. Our post flight checks will highlight any indexing issues, ranking problems, loss of traffic, and more. By doing this we can then help with a plan to remedy things. In some cases, a traffic drop can look like bad news, but it is critical to understand what traffic has been lost before the client sees graphs pointing downwards and asks why. We can assess any changes and report back with the information needed. In many cases an old topical blog might have ranked once and gradually fallen away, the client may not even want this traffic and understanding that can make all the difference in terms of agency perception and client retention.

Get In Touch

Get in touch today to discuss your migration requirements. Whether you are a freelance dev or a large agency we can help. We know you know what you are doing and know how to make amazing sites, we are just here to make sure Google understands that too!