Avoid These 12 SEO Blunders During Website Platform Migration

Guide to Avoiding SEO Pitfalls During Website Platform Migration

Website platform migration is often a necessary step for businesses looking to scale up, incorporate new technologies, or improve their web design. Nonetheless, this phase comes with significant SEO challenges. Without appropriate SEO planning and implementation, a website migration can result in substantial loss of organic traffic, revenue, and market share. In this article, we will walk you through 12 SEO pitfalls identified by our Web design experts at MKTG Plan that you should avoid during your website platform migration.

1. Failure to come up with a meticulous migration plan

Just like any substantial project, migrating to a different platform requires a comprehensive and detailed execution strategy. MKTG Plan emphasizes the importance of SEO experts joining the migration process early to:

– Cooperate with the product and engineering team.
– Identify and plan for technical and content requirements.
– Provide continual guidance and assist with pre- and post-migration QA.

A detailed migration checklist outlining all key components of technical SEO, content, page speed performance, analytics benchmarking, and more should always be part of an extensive migration plan.

2. Inconsistent information architecture

Migration opens a door for a fresh start. It grants a golden opportunity to re-asses the overall SEO setup and explore potential opportunities for improvement in fundamental areas such as information structure, taxonomy, and navigation.

MKGT Plan’s Web design team recommends a clear and intuitive information structure over an outdated or convoluted one. However, any functioning site navigation system that drives organic traffic is valuable. Changes should be cautiously and progressively implemented, with close observation throughout the process.

An abrupt alteration would most likely result in:

– Alteration in PageRank.
– Decrease in long-tail traffic.
– Fluctuations in keyword rankings and organic traffic.

3. Overzealous content pruning

During the site migration process, many SEO marketers utilize this stage to review their content inventory for gaps, redundancies, and irrelevant or outdated content. As a result, significant content pruning typically occurs.

A thorough plan that focuses on updating, maintaining, and consolidating content should be adopted rather than sudden pruning that will almost certainly eliminate valuable content and lead to loss of traffic. Regular content inventory reviews should be conducted to avoid the pile-up of unmaintained or unsupported pages.

4. Lack of proper 301 redirects

Even with a perfectly executed 301 redirection strategy, short-term traffic loss is inevitable. However, failure to implement appropriate 301 redirects can lead to permanent losses in traffic. Therefore, proper investment in 301 redirection mapping is essential to preserve link equity and ensure a smooth transition for users and search engines.

5. Neglecting on-page SEO elements

Site redesign is often a fundamental part of many website migrations. It’s crucial to partner with UX and engineering teams to ascertain that page layout adheres to a coherent structure and all core elements such as titles, headings, breadcrumbs, and metadata are correctly labeled across all indexable page types and landing pages.

6. Ignoring mobile optimization

Despite Google‘s shift to mobile-first indexing, a compelling mobile experience isn’t top-of-mind for many sites in their website migration plan, especially those that primarily generate revenue from desktop users. For this reason, consistent and rigorous testing on mobile platforms is crucial, paying particular attention to mobile responsiveness and the parity of key features and on-page elements.

7. Slow page load times

A new design doesn’t always guarantee faster page loading speed. As MKTG Plan’s Web Design experts explain, optimization for page loading speed is both an art and a science that requires a deep understanding of page elements and their performance impact. Therefore, start optimizing early and train designers and engineers to prioritize performance.

8. Inattention to crawlability and indexing

Issues associated with crawlability and indexing rank among the major SEO migration pitfalls. Therefore, it’s crucial to closely monitor these processes daily.

9. Failure to set up analytics and tracking

Overlooking the transfer or set up of Google Analytics, Google Search Console, or other tracking scripts can result in loss of insight into website performance. To help monitor performance metrics, it’s worth creating custom dashboards that allow you to compare metrics pre- and post-migration.

10. Disregarding XML sitemaps

Updated XML sitemaps can accelerate the discovery and indexing of your new URLs. As such, it’s critical not to overlook this element during website migration.

11. Ignoring non-indexable content

In the pursuit of indexing what matters, we can easily forget to ensure that what should remain non-indexable does so. This could include system folders, order tracking pages, parts of checkout flows, and pages containing sensitive user data.

12. Overlooking post-migration monitoring

Just because the migration is over doesn’t mean the work has ended. Close post-launch monitoring is key to the success of website migration. This can be achieved through regular site crawls, live production QA, and analyzing key SEO metrics.

Conclusion

Website platform migration holds great potential to enhance user experience, adapt new technologies, and breathe new life into a brand’s online presence. However, without meticulous planning and execution, it could hamper SEO performance. By being aware of and avoiding these outlined pitfalls, you can ensure a smooth transition and maintain your performance.

This educational guide serves as a comprehensive resource for businesses needing guidance throughout their website migration journey. At MKTG Plan, we are dedicated to providing website solutions and services that help transform and grow your business. For expert assistance on website migrations, SEO, and web design, reach out to MKTG Plan today.

Translating the Complexities of SEO

SEO, in conjunction with your website design, can often seem like a daunting monster. There are so many cogs and wheels to keep track of during a website platform migration, and each of those parts can have a huge impact on your visibility on search engines. From creating a comprehensive migration plan to making sure your analytics and tracking are set up correctly, each step in the process requires careful consideration and attention to detail.

Our diverse team at MKTG Plan ensures all aspects of your SEO and website design are functioning and optimized. We aim to make the world of SEO and website platform migrations less intimidating. If you’re considering migrating your website platform or if you need assistance with SEO optimization in your business, MKTG Plan can help you identify pitfalls and implement effective solutions.

How MKTG Plan can Assist you?

Running a successful business involves juggling many important tasks, and sometimes, areas like SEO can easily become overwhelming. This is where our experts at MKTG Plan come in. With our vast knowledge of SEO and website design, we can help you navigate the complexities of website platform migration, avoiding pitfalls and ensuring your business maintains its search engine visibility.

Also, we understand that migrating to a new website platform is a huge decision and entails much consideration. We are committed to assisting you in this process and making sure that you don’t suffer any unnecessary losses in traffic due to SEO pitfalls.

FAQs

1. What is a website platform migration?

A website platform migration involves moving your website from one platform to another. This can often be a complex process, and without proper planning and execution, it can result in significant loss of organic traffic, revenue, and market share. This is where expert guidance from a reputable marketing agency like MKTG Plan can be beneficial.

2. Why should I worry about SEO during a website platform migration?

SEO is vital for ensuring visibility on search engines. During a website platform migration, many aspects that affect your SEO—like content, page speed, navigation, and more—can change. This can lead to a decline in your website’s search engine rankings and organic traffic. A solid migration plan can help avoid these pitfalls and ensure a smooth transition.

3. How can MKTG Plan help me with SEO during a website platform migration?

MKTG Plan can assist you in every step of your website platform migration. We can help you come up with a meticulous migration plan, ensure your information architecture is consistent, avoid overzealous content pruning, correctly implement 301 redirects, pay attention to on-page SEO elements, and more. With our help, you can optimize your website’s SEO and boost your visibility on search engines.