# Domain Change SEO Checklist for WordPress

Get Back on Track with Your Domain Change SEO

As a SaaS team, changing your domain can be a daunting task. You might think that losing control of your old URL and social media profiles means losing visibility and credibility to potential customers. But the truth is, a domain change doesn’t have to be a recipe for disaster. In fact, with the right strategy in place, you can increase conversions and maintain (or even boost) your online presence. This article provides a comprehensive Domain Change SEO Checklist for WordPress specifically designed for SaaS teams like yours, providing a step-by-step guide on how to minimize disruptions while maximizing ROI without breaking the bank or hiring a large team of experts.

Understanding the Risks of Domain Change

When making changes to a website’s domain, there are several risks that SaaS teams must be aware of in order to minimize the impact on their search engine rankings and overall conversion rates. One of the most significant risks is a loss of domain authority, which can happen if the new domain is not correctly set up with 301 redirects.

For example, let’s say a company like X.com changes its domain to x.io and fails to set up a 301 redirect from the old domain to the new one. This means that search engines will still index content from the old domain, which can cause inconsistencies in rankings and potentially even lead to a loss of visibility.

Another risk is a drop in search engine rankings for specific keywords or phrases that were previously ranking well on the original domain. This is because search engines may view the new domain as a different entity and adjust their algorithms accordingly.

To avoid these risks, it’s essential to have a solid plan in place for domain changes, including a thorough migration strategy and a checklist of steps to ensure a smooth transition. In the next section, we’ll dive into the importance of crawling and indexing your website after a domain change.

Pre-Migration Planning: Preparation is Key

Before embarking on a domain change, it’s crucial to conduct thorough planning to minimize potential disruptions to your website’s performance. Here are the essential steps to take during pre-migration planning:

1. Assess Current Domain Structure

Evaluate your current domain structure and its impact on internal linking. Identify which pages will be most affected by the domain change and prioritize those for migration first.

For instance, a SaaS company with a large number of subdomains (e.g., example.subdomain1.com, example.subdomain2.com) may need to update their internal linking strategy to accommodate the new primary domain.

2. Update DNS Settings

Update your DNS settings to point to your new domain. This will help prevent duplicate content issues and ensure a smooth transition.

Make sure to set up DNS propagation tools, such as DNSProp or DNSReport, to monitor changes in your DNS records.

3. Migrate Website Files and Data

Transfer your website files and data to the new primary domain. Use tools like FTP clients or WordPress’s built-in file manager to streamline the process.

Consider using a plugin like WP-Migrate DB to migrate your database, reducing the risk of data corruption during the migration process.

4. Update Caching Systems

Update caching systems to accommodate the new domain. This will ensure that cached pages are rewritten correctly and do not contain duplicate content signals.

For example, if you’re using a caching plugin like W3 Total Cache or WP Super Cache, update your configuration to point to the new primary domain.

5. Review Content and Internal Linking

Review your website’s content and internal linking strategy to ensure they are compatible with the new domain.

Update any broken links or redirects to avoid confusing users and search engines.

For instance, a SaaS company may need to update their redirect policy to accommodate the new primary domain, ensuring that all links point to the correct destination.

6. Test and Validate

Conduct thorough testing and validation before announcing the domain change to your audience.

Use tools like Google Search Console or Ahrefs to monitor your website’s crawlability, indexing, and keyword ranking changes.

By following these steps during pre-migration planning, you can minimize potential disruptions and ensure a seamless transition to your new primary domain.

Domain Change SEO Checklist for WordPress

When it comes to domain changes in WordPress, maintaining search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial to minimize disruption to your online presence. Here’s a detailed checklist to guide you through the process:

1. Monitor and Update Internal Linking

After a domain change, update all internal links pointing to the old domain to point to the new one.

Example: Replace `www.exampleold.com` with `www.examplenew.com`

* Tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz can help you identify internal linking opportunities.

* Use your website’s crawl errors and sitemap submissions for a more accurate detection of issues.

2. Update Sitemap Files

Submit the new domain to Google Search Console and other relevant webmaster tools, including sitemap files:

* Update existing sitemaps or create new ones with the correct URLs.

* Ensure all relevant pages (e.g., about us, blog categories) are included in these sitemaps.

3. Redirect Old Pages

Set up redirects for any old pages that should be redirected to their corresponding new locations:

* Use .htaccess file modifications or a plugin like Redirection.

* For301 redirects ensure the redirect URL is correctly formatted (e.g., `http://examplenew.com` instead of `www.examplenew.com`).

4. Update Social Media

Update your social media presence to reflect the domain change:

* Change your social media profiles’ URLs and link back to your new site.

* Replace any old profile links in blog posts or articles.

5. Review Backlinks

Evaluate and update external backlinks pointing to the old domain:

* Reach out to linking parties and ask them to update their links.

* Monitor tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush for new external link acquisition opportunities.

6. Adjust Canonical URLs

Update canonical tags on pages with different versions of content (e.g., `https://old.example.com` vs `http://examplenew.com`):

* In WordPress, go to each page > Settings > Permalink and adjust the canonical tag URL.

* This helps search engines understand which version is preferred.

7. Plan for Potential SEO Penalties

Identify potential SEO penalties and take action to mitigate them:

* Monitor your website’s performance in Google Search Console and Ahrefs reports.

* Adjust internal linking structures or page hierarchy as needed. See Migrating to HTTPS in WordPress for a related tactic.

By following this domain change SEO checklist, SaaS teams can maintain a strong online presence while adapting to changes in their domain structure.

Canonicalization and URL Structure

As part of your domain change SEO checklist, it’s crucial to address canonicalization and URL structure. This involves identifying and resolving duplicate or conflicting URLs, ensuring that the correct version is linked from each page on your website.

1. Identify Duplicate or Conflicting URLs: Use tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to crawl your old website and identify any URLs that are duplicated or identical across different pages.

2. Update Old URLs with 301 Redirects: Update these duplicate URLs by creating 301 redirects that point to the canonical version of the URL. This ensures that search engines understand which URL is the original and can redirect users accordingly.

For example, if your old website had two URLs for a product page:

https://oldwebsite.com/product-page-old

https://oldwebsite.com/product-page-new

You would update the `product-page-old` URL to point to the canonical version:

https://newdomain.com/product-page

And create a 301 redirect from `product-page-old` to `product-page`.

3. Check and Update Permalinks: Ensure that your WordPress permalinks are updated to reflect the new domain structure. Go to Settings > Permalink and update each permalink to include the new domain.

4. Update Internal Links: Review internal links across your website and ensure they point to the correct URLs, including canonicalized versions.

For instance, if you have a link `https://oldwebsite.com/about-us` that points to the same page:

http://newdomain.com/about-us

Verify that these links are updated correctly to avoid breaking any user experience or causing internal linking issues.

5. Test Your New URL Structure: Verify your canonicalization and URL structure by checking tools like Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools, or SEMrush. Ensure that search engines can crawl and understand the new URLs correctly.

Internal Linking and Navigation

Internal linking is a crucial aspect of domain change SEO, as it helps search engines understand the structure and content of your website. When making changes to your domain, it’s essential to ensure that all internal links are updated correctly.

1. Identify existing broken links

* Use tools like Broken Link Checker or Xenu’s Link Sleuth to scan your website for broken links.

* Create a list of URLs that need updating or replacing.

2. Update URL structure

* If possible, use the new domain with a forward slash (`/`) at the end of each URL (e.g., `https://newdomain.com/old-page`).

* For absolute URLs, update the domain in the HTML head and use canonical tags to specify the preferred version.

3. Redirect old pages

* Use 301 permanent redirects for old pages that will be deleted or replaced with new content.

* Use 302 temporary redirects for pages that need updates but still retain their original URLs (e.g., a redirect from `old-page` to the updated page).

4. Update internal linking patterns

* Check if any anchor text is specific to the old domain and update it using a mix of descriptive links and canonical tags.

* Regularly review content for outdated terms, product names, or location references.

5. Test site navigation

* Verify that your website’s main navigation menu still works correctly with the new domain.

* Test all internal link types (e.g., pages, posts, categories) to ensure they are correctly linked and accessible from the main menu.

For example:

If you have a WordPress blog on `oldblog.com` with posts like “Blog Post 1,” you’ll want to update the anchor text for links to these old blog posts as follows:

• Update old content to use canonical tags instead of relying solely on descriptive text.
• Replace old blog post titles with descriptive, keyword-rich versions that match your new domain.
• Regularly review and update any remaining outdated references, terms, or product names across the website.

By following these steps for internal linking and navigation, you’ll help maintain user experience while adjusting to your domain change.

Content Optimization and Migration

When changing domains, optimizing your content is crucial to ensure a smooth transition. Here’s a step-by-step checklist to help you optimize your content:

Step 1: Analyze Your Current Domain Structure

Before migrating to a new domain, assess the structure of your current website. Identify the following:

* Content hierarchy and organization

* Category and post tagging schemes

* Image and file naming conventions

* Meta descriptions and title tags

* Internal linking patterns

This analysis will help you understand how your content is currently organized and make informed decisions about your new domain.

Step 2: Create a Sitemap for Your New Domain

A sitemap is essential to help search engines understand the structure of your new website. Use Google Search Console’s Sitemap Tool to create a map of your new domain’s URLs, including old URLs with redirects. You can also use tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to generate a sitemap.

Step 3: Update Your URL Structure

To avoid breaking internal links and ensure that search engines crawl your site correctly, update your URL structure:

* Use the `_old` suffix for temporary redirects from old URLs to new ones See WordPress Migration SEO Checklist Boost for a related tactic.

* Redirect all subdomains (e.g., `blog.example.com`) to the main domain (`example.com`)

* Update image file names and alt tags to match the new URL structure

For example, if you’re redirecting `http://old-domain.com/about/` to `https://new-domain.com/about/`, create a temporary 301 redirect:

“`plain

function temp_redirect($url) {

return url(‘about/’);

}

add_action(‘init’, ‘temp_redirect’);

“`

This will ensure that users are redirected correctly and search engines crawl the new URL.

Step 4: Update Content with Relevant Information

Content is key to SEO, and a domain change presents an opportunity to refresh your content. Ensure that all relevant information remains up-to-date and accurate:

* Review meta descriptions and title tags for consistency

* Update internal linking patterns to reflect the new domain structure

* Ensure that images and files are correctly named and tagged

By following these steps, you can optimize your content for a smooth transition to a new domain.

Post-Migration Analysis and Optimization

After completing the domain change, it’s essential to analyze the migration’s impact on your website’s performance. This step will help you identify areas that need improvement and prioritize optimization efforts.

1. Redirects: Check if any URL redirects are in place using tools like Google Search Console or Screaming Frog SEO Spider. If there are redirects, review their effectiveness and make adjustments as needed.

2. Canonical URLs: Verify that canonical URLs have been correctly set for each page to avoid duplicate content issues.

3. Meta Tags: Review and update meta titles, descriptions, and keywords to ensure they accurately represent the new domain and content.

4. Internal Linking: Analyze internal linking structures to identify opportunities for improvement. This can include updating anchor text, grouping related pages together, or using descriptive text.

5. Content Optimization: Conduct a thorough review of all content, including blog posts, product descriptions, and landing pages, to ensure they are relevant, engaging, and optimized for the new domain.

Example:

Let’s say you’re migrating a SaaS company from .example.com to .newdomain.com. After analysis, you discover that:

* The original URL structure had 500 redirects, most of which were 301 permanent redirects.

* The canonical URLs on each page pointed to the old domain’s version of the content.

* Meta tags were incomplete or inaccurate for many pages.

To optimize, you:

* Created a comprehensive redirect plan, using 301 permanent redirects whenever possible and 302 temporary redirects when necessary.

* Updated canonical URLs to point to the new domain’s version of the content.

* Review and updated meta titles, descriptions, and keywords for all relevant pages.

* Conducted internal linking audits and made targeted updates to improve the flow and relevance of your website.

Tools to Use:

* Google Search Console

* Screaming Frog SEO Spider

* Ahrefs

* SEMrush

By following this post-migration analysis and optimization checklist, you’ll be able to identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions to increase conversions without hiring a large team.

Part 8: Optimizing Content for Your New Domain – A Deep Dive

When moving to a new domain, it’s essential to revisit your content strategy to ensure that all pages, posts, and assets are correctly linked and optimized for the new URL. This step often gets overlooked but is crucial for maintaining user experience and search engine rankings.

1. Identify Duplicate or Broken Links

Before you can start updating links, you need to identify any that might be broken due to domain changes. Use tools like Screaming Frog SEO Spider or Ahrefs to scan your website for dead links. Once identified, update the links with the new domain by either:

• Manual replacement: Manually updating links in posts, images, and other content.
• Automated updates using WordPress plugins such as “Broken Link Checker” to automatically identify and fix broken links.

2. Update Canonical URLs

Canonical URLs are used by search engines to determine the primary version of a page. If you’ve redirected some pages but not all, make sure you have canonical URLs pointing to the correct domain version for each page. This step ensures that Google and other crawlers understand your new domain structure.

3. Refresh Social Media and Tracking Links

Ensure social media links and analytics tracking are correctly updated with the new domain. This includes updating:

• Social media profiles to reflect the new domain.
• Google Analytics and Tag Manager IDs for accurate tracking of visitors on the new site.

By meticulously handling these tasks, you can significantly improve the overall user experience and visibility of your SaaS business’s website post a domain change.

Part 9: Optimizing WordPress for New Domain SEO – Leveraging Content Migration Strategies

As a SaaS team, migrating to a new domain can be a daunting task. You’ll need to ensure that all your content remains accessible and search engine-friendly. One effective strategy is to leverage content migration strategies that take advantage of WordPress’s strengths.

Step 1: Migrate Content with Preserved URLs

WordPress provides the “Preserving Permalinks” feature, which allows you to migrate existing posts while preserving their URLs. To use this feature:

* Go to Settings > Permalinks

* Choose “Custom structure” as your permalink type See Scaling Faceted Navigation SEO in for a related tactic.

* Create a custom structure using placeholders like `%postname%` or `%year%/%month%/%day%`

* Update the structure and click “Save Changes”

For example, let’s say you’re migrating from `exampleold.com` to `examplenew.com`. You create a custom structure as follows:

“`

examplenew.com/%postname%/ -> %postname%/

examplenew.com/%year%/%month%/%day%/ -> %year%/%month%/%day%/

“`

This way, all your existing content will be accessible on the new domain while maintaining its original structure.

Step 2: Using Rel=”Canonical” to Handle Duplicate Content

When migrating content, it’s essential to avoid duplicate content issues. You can use WordPress’s “Rel=Canonical” feature to specify the preferred version of a post:

* Go to your target URL and open the Google Search Console

* Click on the “Crawl” tab and find the canonical link for each page

* Update the `rel=”canonical”` meta tag on each page using the `wpseo_canonical` filter

For instance, if you have two versions of a post with different URLs (`examplenew.com/post1` and `examplenew.com/post1-previous/`), add the following code to your theme’s functions.php file:

“`php

function wpseCanonicalRedirect() {

$urls = array(

‘http://examplenew.com/post1’,

‘http://examplenew.com/post1-previous/’,

);

foreach ($urls as $url) {

if (wpseo_get_meta(‘rel=”canonical”‘)) {

add_filter(‘wpseo_canonical’, function($val, $key) use ($url) {

return $url;

});

} else {

add_action(‘save_post’, ‘wpseCanonicalRedirectAction’);

}

}

}

add_action(‘init’, ‘wpseCanonicalRedirect’);

function wpseCanonicalRedirectAction() {

update_post_meta(get_the_ID(), ‘rel_canonical’, get_permalink());

}

“`

This code updates the `rel=”canonical”` meta tag on each page, ensuring that search engines understand which version to index.

Step 3: Updating Sitemap and Robots.txt

After migrating your content, it’s crucial to update your sitemap and robots.txt files to reflect the new domain:

* Create a new sitemap for your target URL using WordPress’s “Sitemap” feature

* Update the `robots.txt` file on your target URL to prevent duplicate content issues

* Submit the updated sitemap to Google Search Console

By following these steps, you can ensure that your WordPress site is optimized for new domain SEO and maintain its existing rankings without hiring a large team.

Final Takeaway

Congratulations on completing the Domain Change SEO Checklist for WordPress! By following this case-study style guide, you’ve taken the first step towards increasing conversions without hiring a large team. Recap the key takeaways:

* Update sitemap and XML: Ensure Google knows about your new domain by updating your sitemap and submitting it to search engines.

* 301 redirects: Set up permanent 301 redirects for all URLs to direct traffic from the old domain to the new one.

* Canonical URL: Set the canonical URL to point to the new domain, avoiding duplicate content issues.

* Link equity migration: Ensure link equity is transferred correctly by using the rel=”canonical” tag and updating internal linking structure.

Action checklist: See How To Improve Crawl Budget for a related tactic.

• Review and update your sitemap and XML
• Set up 301 redirects for all URLs
• Update canonical URL settings
• Transfer link equity correctly

By following this checklist, you’ll be well on your way to a smooth domain change SEO transition.

Internal SEO Links

• Migrating to HTTPS in WordPress — Migrating to HTTPS in WordPress for Affiliate Bloggers
• WordPress Migration SEO Checklist Boost — WordPress Migration SEO Checklist: Boost Rankings Without Paid Ads
• Scaling Faceted Navigation SEO in — Scaling Faceted Navigation SEO in WordPress
• How To Improve Crawl Budget — How To Improve Crawl Budget On Large WordPress Sites —
• Site Search Optimization On WordPress — Site Search Optimization On WordPress — Mistakes-To-Avoid Guide For

This article was assisted by AI and reviewed for publishing workflow testing.