How to Overcome SEO Challenges in Website Migrations - Brighton SEO 2024

How to Overcome SEO Challenges in Website Migrations: Learning from Common Issues, Considerations, and Best Practices

This talk from Brighton SEO in October 2024 sets the scene for a migration and outlines the different types of migrations an SEO might face. I then go into detail about why the migration might be happening.

We hear a lot about issues with migrations, so I also want to touch on the positive reasons for migrating.

Get a copy of key questions you should ask before a migration to ensure you have all of the information you need as soon as possible.

You can also learn how to demonstrate the keys to successful communication in a migration.

I then round off the talk by sharing strategies for overcoming SEO challenges and planning a successful migration. I also share practical tips, including a migration cheat sheet and migration briefing document.

Transcript

1. How to Overcome SEO Challenges in Website Migrations Nikki Halliwell Journey Further https://speakerdeck.com/nikkihalliwell /in/nikkiroseh/ @NikkiRHalliwell
2. How to Overcome SEO Challenges in Website Migrations BRIGHTON SEO Nikki Halliwell
3. /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
4. /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
5. Our goal: Ensure this doesnʼt happen to you. /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
6. 1 WHAT IS A SITE MIGRATION? /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
7. 8 Site Location 8 1 Domain change 2 Moving/merging areas 3 HTTP to HTTPS 4 International expansion /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
8. Platform 1 Moving to new CMS 2 Upgrading CMS version 3 Add new features 4 Site redesign /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
9. 10 10 Content 1 Adding new pages 2 Removing content 3 Consolidating content 4 New languages/locales /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
10. Structure 1 Hierarchy modifications 2 Navigational tweaks 3 Internal linking changes 4 Changing user journey /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
11. 12 UNDERSTAND WHY THE MIGRATION IS HAPPENING 12 /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
12. Faster load times Better UX and functionality Reorganisation of content Scalability and expansions /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
13. 2 GET THE INFORMATION YOU NEED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
14. Use a migration briefing document to ensure we capture all relevant information at the earliest stage Get a copy of my migration briefing questions at the end /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
15. What is the main reason for the migration? ➔ Is the whole site being migrated or just sections of it? /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
16. ➔ When is the client planning to go-live? What is the timeline? Get a copy of my migration timeline template at the end /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
17. ➔ When can you get access to the staging site? How far along are they in the build process? /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
18. ➔ Are they using internal or external resources? ➔ How often do they have stand-ups? What developer support or resources do they have? /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
19. Are they changing structure, design, content, or everything? ➔ What support will they need for redirect mapping? /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
20. 21 ➔ Is this different from the existing CMS? What CMS will be used? /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
21. What are the specific goals or KPIs? ➔ Agree what metrics will be used to measure performance. /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
22. 3 HOW TO OVERCOME COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES IN A MIGRATION /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
23. Make everyone aware of accountabilities Clear timeline broken down by milestones Set up regular comms. E.g. Slack or stand ups The Keys to Successful Communication in a Migration Speak the language of developers /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
24. Get a copy of my full migration tasks template at the end ➔ Set up a list of tasks so that everyone understands the work involved Migration Checklist /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
25. /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
26. TOP CHALLENGES AND ISSUES IN MIGRATIONS Donʼt Make These Same Mistakes /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
27. Loss of search rankings and organic traffic Migration without SEO involvement /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
28. Incorrect implementation of 301 redirects, especially during domain changes. /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
29. Unplanned or extended downtime during the launch Becomes an even bigger problem if launching on a Friday or weekend /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
30. Issues with DNS Propagation causing the site to go down /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
31. Breakages of functionalities on the new platform /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
32. 33 Failure to replicate or replace features from the old website /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
33. Integration Issues with new Payment Gateways /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
34. Missing or incorrect implementation of HREFLANG tags /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
35. Poor user experience due to changes in design and navigation /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
36. Broken links or missing pages, affecting conversions /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
37. Incorrect Analytics implementation causing loss of data and inconsistencies /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
38. 4 WHAT TO DO IF THINGS GO WRONG IN A MIGRATION /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
39. Review Analytics Data Find pages or keywords that may have been hit by the specific changes /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
40. Check Redirects Verify that all 301 redirects from old to new are correctly implemented /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
41. Double check Redirects Ensure that pages are carefully and accurately mapped to relevant pages /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
42. Check for Indexation Blockers Has the robots.txt file been updated to allow crawling? Are there meta robots rules in place that are stopping indexing? /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
43. 44 44 Check the XML sitemap Has it been updated and been submitted to search engines? Does it contain the right URLs and reflect the structure of the site? /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
44. Has the load time been negatively affected? Slow loading pages can negatively affect UX and rankings. Check the Site Speed /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
45. Check the Content Ensure content is relevant to the target keywords. Update and add to the content as needed to align with user intent and business goals. /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
46. Check the Status of Backlinks Ensure high quality backlinks are still pointing to the new site. /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
47. Some Fluctuations are Normal ➔ Be patient ➔ Monitor over time /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
48. Everyone on same page Donʼt panic Agree next steps Monitor your Performance /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
49. Reacting to Traffic Decline /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
50. Based on analysis and feedback, make necessary adjustments to combat the drops. Keep detailed records of the steps taken and their outcomes for future migrations. Annotate actions on GA to help understand the impact of the work. /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
51. 5 HOW TO OVERCOME SEO CHALLENGES IN MIGRATIONS /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
52. Overcome SEO Challenges Be as proactive as possible 1 2 3 Donʼt play the blame game Use data to inform decisions /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
53. Be methodical in your approach 4 5 6 Find the positives Keep communication open and clear Overcome SEO Challenges /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
54. Overcome SEO Challenges Donʼt migrate in peak season 7 8 9 Get content on staging ASAP Leave time for staging checks and fixes and … /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
55. 10 Encourage multi-layer approvals for risk mitigation Overcome SEO Challenges /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
56. Move to subdomain Move back to subfolders /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
57. Take control of your client’s site migration with confidence /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO
58. Get a copy of my migration checklist and all other resources from this talk Scan me nikkihalliwell.com/seo-speaker/ brighton-seo-2024/ /in/nikkiroseh/ @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO https://speakerdeck.com/nikkihalliwell Or visit this
59. Nikki Halliwell Tech SEO Manager Connect with me to master your next migration /in/nikkiroseh/ | @nikkirhalliwell #BrightonSEO https://speakerdeck.com/nikkihalliwell