Migration

In the context of the Web, the term migration refers to the process of moving a website from one environment to another, which may include changing domains, moving to a new CMS (Content Management System), upgrading the hosting infrastructure, or moving from HTTP to HTTPS.

A website migration can be temporary or permanent: either way, it is a complex operation that requires careful planning to minimize the impact on SEO and user experience because this move involves significant changes in the structure, platform, content, design, or location of the site.

There are several reasons that may convince one to undertake a migration, and there are different types of “transition.”

• Domain change. When a site moves from one domain to another (e.g., from example.com to example.net).
• Migration from HTTP to HTTPS. Migration to a secure connection to improve security and user trust.
• Change of CMS platform. For example, moving from one content management system (CMS) to another (Joomla to WordPress).
• URL restructuring. Changes to URL structure to improve usability and SEO (e.g., removing unnecessary URL parameters).
• Site redesign. A complete design update that can affect site structure and navigation.
• Content migration. Moving content from one site to another, which may include aggregating multiple sites into one or splitting a site into multiple parts.
• Change of hosting or server. Moving the site to a new server or hosting provider to improve performance or reduce costs.

On the technical side, we can distinguish between:

• Technical migration. Changes in the technical infrastructure of the site without changing the design or content.
• Content migration. Moving or significantly changing the content of the site.
• Design migration. Changes in the visual appearance and user experience of the site.
• Domain migration. Change of the site URL at the domain level.
• Structural migration. Changes to site architecture, such as page hierarchy or URL structure.

This process can present several SEO challenges and risks, which must be carefully managed to preserve or improve the site’s search engine ranking. To summarize, situations such as:

• Loss of traffic. If migration is not handled properly, the site may lose traffic due to broken links or reduced visibility in search engines.
• Decreased ranking. Migration errors can lead to a loss of ranking if search engines cannot find previously indexed pages or if the new site is less optimized.
• Redirect problems. 301 redirects must be implemented correctly to maintain link equity and drive users and search engines to the new pages.
• Duplicate content. If content exists on both the old and new sites without proper redirects or canonical tags, duplicate content can occur.
• Usability issues. A new design or structure can confuse regular users, negatively affecting user experience and potentially ranking.
• Downtime. During migration, the site may be temporarily inaccessible, which can affect user ranking and trust.

To mitigate these problems and risks, it is essential to carefully plan the migration, communicate with stakeholders, perform extensive testing before launch, monitor the site after migration, and prepare a contingency plan in case of problems. From a technical perspective, it is important to ensure that all redirects are properly implemented, that indexing is carefully managed, and that site performance is monitored during and after the migration, remembering however that a small drop in rankings and traffic can be “natural,” especially in the first few days immediately following the move.