Site migrations: gone wrong / how to fix them / how to do it right.

In this presentation, I take you through the intricate process of site migrations—showing what can go wrong, how to fix the issues, and how to do it right from the start.

Using real-world examples, including both successful and failed migrations, I highlight common pitfalls like indexation issues, traffic drops, and ranking losses.

From partial migrations to full domain-to-domain overhauls, I share key insights, lessons learned, and practical tips to avoid SEO disasters and ensure a smooth migration process.

Transcript

2. ➢ SEO Manager & Chapter Lead @ ➢ SEO Consultant @ ➢ SEO Lecturer @ ‘SEO guy’ since 2010 Frank Hendrix – 11 Oct 2024 @ DUNESEARCH
3. Introduction: site migrations: what’s the big deal? What’s at stake? ➢ Indexation issues ➢ Ranking drops ➢ Traffic loss ➢ Revenue loss Post-migration traffic drop Frank Hendrix – 11 Oct 2024 @
4. Introduction: different types of site migrations Partial migration – URL restructuring or navigational change Same-domain website overhaul – same domain name, new website Domain-to-domain migration – with or without website overhaul Frank Hendrix – 11 Oct 2024 @
5. Case study: KBC – a successful partial migration Before: need-focused menu After: product-focused menu A/B testing showed better CTR and conversion with a product-focused menu than with the old need-focused menu. Menu change without SEO input left navigation paths, URLs, and breadcrumbs misaligned. Frank Hendrix – 11 Oct 2024 @
6. Case study: KBC – a successful partial migration Old URL structure: ➢ Product pages: /product/vehicle/insurance/car-insurance ➢ Awareness pages: /vehicle/insurance/hit-the-road-with-your-classic-car New URL structure: ➢ Awareness pages: /insurance/vehicle/hit-the-road-with-your-classic-car ➢ Product pages: /insurance/vehicle/car-insurance Frank Hendrix – 11 Oct 2024 @
7. Case study: KBC – a successful partial migration The task – Realigning navigation paths, URLs, and breadcrumbs on 350+ pages across multiple languages and domains = ~2800 pages x4 languages on kbc.be x3 languages on kbcbrussels.be x1 language on cbc.be The challenge – how to get this done without causing major traffic loss or disrupting user experience Scope: partial migration = ~2800 pages! Frank Hendrix – 11 Oct 2024 @
8. Meticulous redirect sheets: to map every single page Pre-migration testing: ensure everything is working as expected before going live Staged rollout & intermediate checks Monitoring: indexation, traffic fluctuations, errors Case study: KBC – a successful partial migration The results – minimal traffic dip followed by substantial SEO performance boost The precautions: Frank Hendrix – 11 Oct 2024 @
9. Case study: Example X of a failed migration – what went wrong Website X experienced a significant traffic drop occurred post-migration Key Problems: ➢ Crawlability issues: The top menu was hidden from crawlers due to JavaScript. ➢ Client-Side Rendering (CSR): Most of the site’s key content was rendered via CSR JavaScript, making it harder to read for search engines. Scope: full same-domain website migration Frank Hendrix – 11 Oct 2024 @
10. The impact Traffic drop Average position drop # of indexed pages drop Case study: Example X of a failed migration – the impact Frank Hendrix – 11 Oct 2024 @
11. ➢ Ensured crawlability of the top menu and internal links by switching to SSR ➢ Made key content accessible for crawlers with SSR implementation ➢ Corrected and optimized canonicals and language tags ➢ Improved 404 handling for deactivated listings Case study: Example X of a failed migration – the fix Implemented solutions: The result so far: Frank Hendrix – 11 Oct 2024 @
12. Key problems: ➢ Crawlability issues: top menu and product pages weren’t accessible to search engines due to JS reliance. ➢ Orphaned pages: Over 7,700 pages had no internal links. ➢ Broken internal links: More than 3,700 pages contained broken internal links, creating 404 errors. ➢ Duplicate metadata: Nearly 1,400 pages had duplicate meta titles. ➢ Product pages relied on JS-based infinite scroll, making them hard for search engines to crawl and index. Case study: Example Y of a failed migration – what went wrong Scope: another full same-domain website migration Frank Hendrix – 11 Oct 2024 @
13. The impact Traffic drop Average position drop Case study: Example Y of a failed migration – the impact Frank Hendrix – 11 Oct 2024 @
14. Zero orphaned pages Case study: Example Y of a failed migration – the fix Implemented solutions: 7724 orphaned pages Broken links on 3733 pages Broken links on 14 pages Top menu and key pages not crawlable All pages and internal links crawlable Product pages using JS-based ‘infinite scroll’ 110 duplicate meta titles 1397 duplicate meta titles Crawlable pagination Frank Hendrix – 11 Oct 2024 @
15. Key lessons from both cases Ensure all critical content and internal links are crawlable and easily accessible to search engines. Address orphaned pages and broken internal links early to prevent SEO issues from escalating. Implement proper metadata (titles, descriptions, canonicals, language tags, …) to avoid duplicate content and improve search rankings. Pre-launch testing & crawl analysis: Always work on a test domain and use crawling tools to catch issues (like navigation problems or internal linking issues) before going live. Frank Hendrix – 11 Oct 2024 @
16. ➢ Make a thorough 301 redirect mapping from the old URLs to the new domain. ➢ Ensure proper canonical tags are set up to avoid duplicate content issues. De-index the old domain to prevent competition with the new one. ➢ Check and preserve high-value backlinks by properly redirecting them to the new domain. Use tools like Ahrefs to identify critical backlinks. ➢ Ensure the new domain has proper SSL certificates, robots.txt, and sitemap submission. Verify the setup is correct in Google Search Console and other webmaster tools. Domain-to-domain migrations: Special considerations Frank Hendrix – 11 Oct 2024 @
17. Best practices for domain migrations Thorough pre-migration audit Complete 301 redirect plan Use a staging environment and run crawl tests URL consistency: check URL structure, canonicals, hreflang tags, www, https, trailing slashes Avoid loss in link equity Get your Search Console in order Monitor traffic, indexation, and ranking fluctuations closely post-migration Frank Hendrix – 11 Oct 2024 @
18. Yoda and Star Wars characters © Lucasfilm/Disney. Used here for educational purposes under fair use. Frank Hendrix – 11 Oct 2024 @
19. Post-Migration Monitoring