Migrating a Site Without Losing Rankings
A site migration — a new domain, a redesign, a platform change or a move to HTTPS — is one of the riskiest things you can do to your search visibility. Done carelessly it can wipe out years of accumulated rankings almost overnight.
Done with a proper plan, you can carry your authority across smoothly and sometimes even come out stronger than before.
The Critical Steps
Thorough preparation before launch is what separates a smooth migration from a damaging one.
- Crawl and record every existing URL and its rankings beforehand.
- Map each old URL to its exact new equivalent.
- Put 301 redirects in place for every changed URL.
- Update internal links, sitemaps and Search Console after launch.
After the Move
Once live, we monitor crawl errors, indexing and rankings closely for several weeks, catching any missed redirects or broken links quickly. A short, temporary dip is normal; a lasting collapse usually points to a redirect that was missed or misconfigured.
Timing and Communication
We schedule migrations for quieter periods, never during a peak sales season, and keep stakeholders informed of what to expect. Setting realistic expectations about a brief settling period avoids alarm when the inevitable small fluctuations appear in the first week or two.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I lose rankings during a migration?
Expect a brief wobble. With complete redirects and clean execution, rankings recover quickly.
If you need a hand with any of this, your Progressive Robot delivery team is ready to help. Raise a ticket from the Support area of your client portal or speak to your account manager and we will guide you through the next steps.