How To Move Website Platforms Without Losing Your SEO

Have you ever wondered if moving website platforms could affect your SEO? Maybe you’re thinking about switching from Wix or Squarespace to Showit (a decision I’ve made before) and you’re worried about it affecting your search engine rankings. Y’know, the ones you worked so hard for.

But don’t worry. As a website designer who’s helped business owners across all industries, I’m here to help and show you how to move website platforms without losing your SEO. Let’s dive into how you can make a smooth transition!

1. Expect a temporary dip in SEO

Don’t worry, it’s just for a short while! Google constantly checks new websites to add to its index. Your new site will get there, but it can take a few days or weeks.

Google keeps us guessing about when this will happen, but they will index your new site. It just takes time.

I bring this up first because losing SEO is a big fear for business owners, which is understandable. It’s hard work to rank well. But knowing this dip is temporary can save you from stressing out about it or worrying too much.

2. Make a plan so you don’t lose your SEO when you migrate platforms

While this may seem obvious, a lot of business owners are caught off guard during the website migration process. It’s important to have a plan in place before you make the switch.

Here’s a quick checklist to help keep things simple and easy:

• Domain: Unless you’re also changing your business name, you want to keep the same domain to maintain your search rankings.
• Meta Descriptions: Decide whether to keep your existing ones or strategically update them with relevant keywords to improve your SEO. Here’s a guide on how to write your website meta titles and descriptions.
• Plan based on Google Analytics data to optimize meta descriptions for better performance.

Having these details helps avoid surprises during the switch.

3. Know your keywords, including which ones are working

As a business owner, you likely know the importance of keywords. But when moving your website to a new platform, it’s a perfect time to revisit your keyword strategy!

Your website analytics can offer some pretty valuable insights into which pages your visitors frequent and which keywords drive the most traffic. This information is incredibly value, as it helps you identify which keywords are ranking and which aren’t.

Using the right keywords can and will help you rank #1 on Google. How do I know? I’ve helped past clients do this. And if this is something you need help with, I actually created a whole SEO guide so you can do it yourself.

So, before making the switch to a new platform, review your current keywords. Which ones are performing well? Which ones need an update, or maybe even need to be dropped? Taking the time to refine your keyword strategy can give your new website a competitive edge.

4. Set up 301 redirects

Let’s talk about something called 301 redirects. Imagine you move to a new house, but you don’t want your mail to get lost. You’d set up a mail forwarding service, right? That’s kind of what a 301 redirect does for your website. When someone clicks on a link to your old website, a 301 redirect sends them straight to your new site.

These redirects are really important because they’re permanent. That means they’ll keep working no matter where your old website links are found. Plus, they help keep all the good SEO work you’ve done.

Think of it like this: if you’ve worked hard to get your website noticed by search engines, you don’t want to lose that when you move to a new site. Setting up 301 redirects is like telling search engines, “Hey, we’ve moved, but we’re still the same great site!”

Basically, if you don’t want to lose all the effort you’ve put into making your website easy to find on search engines, you should definitely set up 301 redirects.

5. Keep your existing website active until the new one is ready

When you’re moving your website to a new platform, it’s important to keep your existing website active until the new one is completely ready to launch. This is because website migrations can take some time, and the timeline often depends on the size of your website and what needs to be transferred over.

If you deactivate your old website too soon, visitors might not be able to find you online, which could harm your visibility and credibility. Additionally, search engines might notice the downtime and lower your website’s ranking, which could negatively impact your SEO efforts.

Therefore, it’s best to wait until you’ve fully transferred all your content and tested the new website before making the switch. By keeping your old website active during this transition period, you can ensure a smooth handover without disrupting your online presence or damaging your SEO.

So to recap…

Moving website platforms doesn’t have to be intimidating, just make sure you:

• Know what you’re doing with your domain name and meta descriptions
• Review existing keywords and see what’s working
• Set up 301 redirects so you don’t lose out on your SEO
• Keep your old site active until the new one is ready to go

I know this is a lot to take in and it can be overwhelming trying to move website platforms without losing your SEO, which is why I offer custom website design and I’m more than happy to help you redesign your website. Not only do my clients stand out online, but they’re able to raise their prices and attract more high-quality leads and book clients they love working with.

Want to try out Showit’s drag and drop website builder for free before you commit? As a Showit Design Partner, I can offer you a free month with Showit on top of their free trial. You can get your first month free right here.

Note: Some links are affiliate links. I may receive a commission for sharing my favorite tools with you, but they won’t cost you anything more. I’ll sometimes even share a discount for you. ◡̈