Migrating platforms without losing Google visibility
Photo: Avila Ops Tecnologia
To migrate platforms without losing Google visibility, you need four things: keep the same domain, list all current pages and their traffic, create a permanent redirect (301) from each old page to its new equivalent, and monitor Search Console for 30 days after switching. Those who do this usually retain traffic. Those who skip the list and redirects lose rankings earned over years, then blame the new platform.
This plan applies when moving from a website builder to WordPress, from WordPress to another platform, or from one store platform to another. The tool changes; the logic stays the same.
Step 1: what does Google already know about your website?
Before building anything new, inventory the old site. Open Search Console (if it is not configured, the guide to appearing on Google explains how: avilaops.com/guias/como-faco-para-minha-empresa-aparecer-no-google). Export the page list with clicks and impressions for the last 12 months.
Complete it with the sitemap and a crawl of existing pages, including those receiving no visits. The result is a three-column spreadsheet: old URL, annual visits, new URL (blank for now).
Also record the Google titles and descriptions for the 20 highest-traffic pages. You will reuse them.
Step 2: what changes, and what must not change?
Keep the domain. Changing domain and platform together is the most common recipe for losing everything. If you need a new domain, change it separately, months apart.
Keep page URLs whenever possible. If the services page was suaempresa.com.br/servicos, retain /servicos on the new platform. Every preserved URL means one fewer redirect and one fewer risk.
Keep titles and descriptions for pages bringing the most visitors. Rewriting everything during migration confuses Google about what each page is.
You can change appearance, internal structure, speed (for the better), and content on pages receiving no visits.
Step 3: how do you build redirects?
Fill the spreadsheet’s third column. For every old URL, choose the closest new URL. Service page to service page. Blog post to the same post. Product to the same product or, if discontinued, its category.
Never send everything to the homepage. To Google, that is equivalent to saying the pages disappeared. The redirect guide explains the difference between 301 and 302 and why it matters: what redirects are and why they save traffic.
Configure redirects on the new platform or server before changing DNS. Test the 20 most important ones by opening old URLs and checking they reach the right place.
Steps 4 and 5: the switch and the following 30 days
| Step | Action | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inventory: page list with traffic, titles, and descriptions | Before starting |
| 2 | New website ready at a temporary address, with the same page paths | Weeks, depending on the project |
| 3 | Redirects configured and tested | Before the switch |
| 4 | Change DNS on a low-traffic day; submit the new sitemap in Search Console | Migration day |
| 5 | Monitor crawl errors and clicks per page in Search Console | 30 days |
Expect fluctuations during those 30 days. Google needs to revisit each page, see its redirect, and update the index. What is not normal: 404 pages listed in Search Console (missing redirects) or a drop exceeding half of clicks lasting weeks (wrong redirects, blocking robots rules, or an excessively slow new website).
If traffic dropped after migration and redirects are correct, another cause may be responsible, such as Google’s AI answers. This guide helps distinguish them: avilaops.com/guias/meu-site-perdeu-trafego-com-as-respostas-de-ia-do-google.
What to do now
If migration is planned, do the inventory this week before contracting anything. The URL spreadsheet is the project’s most important document and the one nobody requests. A website Google understands, with Search Console configured: avilaops.com/presenca-digital-para-pequenas-empresas or contact us on WhatsApp: wa.me/5517997811471.
Frequently asked questions
Does changing website platforms affect SEO?
It does if URLs change without redirects, the new site is slower, or titles and content are rewritten all at once. With the same domain, per-page 301 redirects, and Search Console monitoring, the effect is usually small and temporary.
How long does Google take to recognize the new website?
Days for main pages, weeks for all of them. Submitting the new sitemap in Search Console helps. Fluctuation in the first weeks is expected; a large, persistent drop indicates missing or incorrect redirects.
Do I need to keep the old website live after migration?
Not the old website, but keep the old domain if changing domains. With the same domain, the old site can be shut down once redirects are on the new server and DNS has propagated. Keep a backup for a few months.
Turn what you learned into your next step.
Tell us about your company and what you want to improve. We can explore the right tools, integrations or custom project together.