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In the process of working with SEO, many specialists are faced with a situation where a resource is transferred to a new engine. This is fraught with loss of positions and traffic, which can have serious consequences. It is important to understand that a successful transfer requires careful monitoring at every stage, otherwise you can easily lose the positions that have been gained over many months.
When a site is transferred to a new engine, it is necessary to carefully monitor all changes. And even with a professional approach from a team of programmers, an SEO specialist must always be on guard to avoid loss of traffic. This is due to the fact that the client himself may often not know the importance of certain aspects of the site or consider them insignificant for the transfer, which can lead to a sharp drop in rankings after the transfer.
Now we’ll figure out how to avoid such problems and what you need to take into account when transferring your site to a new CMS.
This seems like an obvious step, but unfortunately many people forget about it. This is especially true when a client decides to migrate without taking into account the importance of SEO optimization. In this case, developers often ignore the necessary changes.
It is important that the following code is written in the robots.txt file on the test domain:
User-agent: * Disalov: /
One of the difficult aspects of migration is changing page URLs, since each CMS has its own characteristics. For example, one system can generate page addresses in Latin, and another in Cyrillic, which will lead to the creation of new, different URLs. To avoid confusion and loss of traffic, it is important to carefully monitor the URL structure on the new engine.
Any change in the structure of the site can lead to fluctuations in positions in search results. Therefore, it is important to conduct a thorough check, especially if the CMS does not allow you to keep the structure unchanged. To make the process easier, you can create a table with the complete structure of the site, page addresses and their descriptions to ensure that all pages are taken into account when installing redirects.
If your site has many pages, you can download a list of URLs using analytics systems. To do this, you should choose a period large enough to take into account all seasonal fluctuations in traffic.
To avoid duplicate pages, it is useful to use third-party services such as Screaming Frog SEO Spider to check pages on your test and production domains. Make a table with the results and carefully check all pages to avoid losing content.
When migrating a site, it is important to remember to keep all meta tags, such as title and description. This is a common mistake when migrating sites when these tags are either lost or replaced with template values. It is recommended to create a table with the URL and the corresponding meta tags so that you can re-enter them on the new site if necessary.
It is very important that the site after the transfer is identical to the previous one. All changes should be made only after the new site has been tested and after search engines have adapted to the new engine. Otherwise, any changes may lead to losses in positions.
Headings H1-H6 should be moved in the same way as meta tags. To do this, use a table with URLs and headings to make adjustments on the new site if necessary. This will help you avoid losing structural elements on your pages.
After the transfer, do not forget to update the sitemap (sitemap.xml) and robots.txt file. Make sure that all site pages that need to be indexed are accessible to search engines. The sitemap and robots.txt file should be available at standard addresses:
https://domain/sitemap.xml https://domain/robots.txt
Canonical URLs are an important part of SEO, and moving them to a new site also requires attention. If there are no canonical links, indexing problems may arise and search engines may consider pages to be duplicates.
Don't forget about internal linking. This is an important element that helps both users and search engines navigate the site easily. Make a list of links and check that they work correctly after the transfer.
If your site has already been optimized for fast loading, don't allow performance to deteriorate after the migration. Modern search engines are very sensitive to loading speed, and any degradation can affect rankings. Use services like Google PageSpeed Insights to check your site's loading speed.
Microdata is important for improving search engine visibility. When moving a site, be sure to transfer all micro-markup elements to avoid loss of attractiveness in search results.
Check that all analytics counters and third-party services, such as call tracking and chats, have been transferred to the new site and are functioning correctly. Check your goal settings in analytics and test all forms on the site.
Make sure that the mobile version of the site retains all functional elements and that they are user-friendly. Search engines pay special attention to the mobile version of the site, so it is important that all elements work correctly on a mobile device.
When all the preparatory work is completed, open a new version of the site for indexing and continue tracking positions. If there are minor traffic fluctuations, don't panic, but respond quickly to minimize losses. If your business is seasonal, try to carry out the transfer during a period of low activity to minimize risks.
Moving a website is a complex process that requires care and precision. Under the supervision of an SEO specialist, this process will go more smoothly, and you will be able to avoid serious losses of traffic and positions.
If you have any questions or need help in migrating your site, you can write to the SEO studio "SEO COMPUTER" with any questions at email info@seo.computer.
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