How to change your domain name without losing SEO

If you feel you’ve outgrown your current domain, it’s probably time to change domain name. However, you possibly can be concerned with the results of fixing domain names on your current web site. From the chance of losing pure guests to losing your hard-earned Google rankings when prospects look for you, these are legit issues that you just simply may want.

But will transitioning to a model new domain finish in your web site’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to endure? The reply won’t be very so much – once you observe just some basic steps.

In this textual content, we’ll cowl the subsequent necessary steps to change your domain name without losing SEO:

• Why change your site domain name?
• The significance of SEO
• How to safely change your site domain name without losing your SEO
• Bonus steps to assure your new domain’s success

Why change your site domain name?

There are two foremost reason why it is your determination to change to a model new domain name.

For some, it could be due to rebranding, or an overhaul of your site’s complete theme. Or probably you’ve merely thought of a larger URL, or a additional catchy and memorable name for your enterprise. In the event you decided to change your agency name, you should have to incorporate your agency’s new name onto your site URL.

Whatever the rationale is also, stick to some basic ideas to assure your SEO doesn’t endure an extreme quantity of.

The significance of SEO

Before we dive into the tactic of safely altering your domain, let’s try the importance of SEO. These days, people across the globe flip to Google to look for one thing they’re seeking. Because of this, exhibiting up extreme in Search Engine Results Pages (SERP) (be it Google or any predominant engines like google) ought to be a excessive priority to get your site found.

Best practices of wonderful SEO embrace using associated key phrases, on-page optimization, and hyperlink setting up.

These inform Google and completely different predominant engines like google that your site has what people are attempting to discover. Failing to put effort into SEO might find yourself in your site not exhibiting up the least bit. This might find yourself in lower guests. And for a enterprise, it will indicate missed conversions and revenue. For an in-depth data to SEO for your site, check out this textual content.

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How to safely change domain names without losing SEO

Changing your domain name will nearly actually set off a brief lived detrimental affect on your search rankings. But by following the steps on this data, you may have the opportunity to prohibit the damage completed. You’ll moreover give your new site probably the greatest chance of ranking extraordinarily as you progress forward.

Step 1: Audit your current web site

Before you change domain names, it’s suggestion to do an SEO web site and hyperlink audit first. Site audit devices by SEMrush and Ahref will analyze your site’s current SEO effectivity. This might assist you to understand what’s working and what desires bettering. Importantly, it may moreover offer you one factor to consider shortly.

Some of the elements included in an audit:

• Website effectivity and loading tempo
• Issues with HTML and completely different code
• Content prime quality
• Incoming hyperlinks
• Outgoing hyperlinks

One key house that it is best to take care of is current backlinks. Backlinks are incoming hyperlinks which could be linked to your current site from completely different websites. Simply put, Google recognises pages with many backlinks to comprise knowledge worth sharing. In this case, the additional backlinks your site has, the higher your search rank might be and that contributes to bigger web site guests. To view this knowledge, merely click on on on the “hyperlinks” report on your Google Search Console account.

With Google Search Console, you may additionally entry completely different evaluations to do an intensive audit of your current web site:

• Using the “Performance” report, you may have the opportunity to see your domain stage search outcomes effectivity.
• With “Index Coverage” and “Sitemaps”, get a snapshot of how Google indexes your site.
• In the “Mobile Usability” report, you may have the opportunity to listen to any potential points with usability on mobile devices

Step 2: Audit the historic previous of your new domain / URL

This step is said for people who’ve purchased, or are planning to purchase an older domain bought from a 3rd social gathering or by means of a domain public sale. If your are planning to purchase a very new domain name, this half would not apply to you!

Imagine a domain name to be a house on the internet. When you purchase a house that had been lived in beforehand, you may undoubtedly want to double confirm to be sure that it is safe and acceptable for inhabitation. The equivalent goes for getting a domain name that has been used beforehand!

Do a quick search of your domain name on archive.org. Here, it’s potential for you to to see a historic previous of the pages that had been constructed on this domain beforehand. In this case, look intently and see if these pages comprise low-quality content material materials or worse nonetheless, spam content material materials.

Using SEO devices like Ahrefs or SEMRush might allow you to analyze a listing of the inbound hyperlinks, or backlinks which could be directed to your potential new domain.

In the event that you just simply do see a dwell web site or dwell content material materials on your potential new domain, it is best to add the domain to your Google Search Console account. Then, it’s potential for you to to see how your potential new domain has been beforehand listed by Google. From proper right here, what you need to look out for are handbook penalty actions taken in opposition to your domain. These penalty actions are usually attributable to the sooner site using black-hat SEO methods to manipulate search ranks, or containing spam content material materials.

If there have been such penalty actions utilized to your potential new domain, you need to stop and rethink if that’s nonetheless the domain you want to redirect your earlier web site to. URL changes are time-consuming, due to this fact you undoubtedly want to start with a transparent slate. Otherwise, if you would like to proceed with this domain, you should have to deal with the penalty actions. After which, you may have the opportunity to file a reconsideration request to attraction to Google in lifting these penalties.

Step 3: Migrate your site to the model new domain

Now it’s time to to bear the tactic of migrating your full web site to your new domain.

If you’re using WordPress, the tactic is easy. Migration plugins like The Duplicator WordPress Migration Plugin allow you to shortly backup your site then migrate it. An outstanding web host should additionally provide automatic WordPress migration. Alternatively, head here for step-by-step instructions on how to download, export, and upload your site files manually.

By one of the simplest ways, once you’re in need of a model new website hosting plan, take into consideration what GoDaddy has to provide. We have the whole thing from shared hosting, VPS hosting, and far more. If you’re significantly seeking WordPress hosting, head to our hosting page and select the WordPress dropdown menu. Once you’ve chosen a web internet hosting plan, click on on the acquisition button, and the order net web page opens. Complete your purchase and your web internet hosting could be all prepare inside merely moments.

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Step 4: Apply 301 redirects to your web site

Once you’ve migrated your full site to your new domain, it’s time to do a eternal redirect of holiday makers from your earlier web site to your new web site.

Doing a eternal redirect is an particularly important step in any domain change. You want to assure that you just’re redirecting all your guests from your earlier net web page to your new web site. This will then help to hold your web site’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO) as these redirects allow Google to know that your earlier net web page has been shifted to a model new one, seize these URL changes and substitute its index accordingly.

To prepare this eternal redirect, you’ll need to prepare what’s referred to as a 301 redirect.

A 301 redirect will routinely ship any incoming guests from your earlier site to the corresponding net web page on your new site.

To prepare 301 redirects, head to your hosting provider’s domain administration coronary heart. Once inside, enter your current main domain name and the model new main domain that guests ought to be routed to.

Keep in ideas you’ll need to prepare a redirect for each net web page of your site. This accommodates your about net web page, contact knowledge net web page, and any weblog posts and so forth.

Some extent to observe: you don’t want to merely redirect your homepage from your earlier web site to your new web site. Remember you might have backlinks – the place completely different websites are straight linking to completely different pages or weblog articles on your earlier net web page? To be sure that each one these pages are redirected accordingly, it is best to do a wildcard redirect.

A wildcard redirect is an alternative which may allow browsers to attain your site regardless of subdomain prospects requested, without the need to prepare specific directories for these requests upfront.

This can be referred to as a wildcard subdomain or catch-all subdomain. For an in-depth view on how to do a 301 redirect, check out this article!

Step 5: Let Google know you’ve modified domains

Once you’ve migrated your site to its new domain and set your 301 redirects, it’s time to let Google know. Head over to Google Search Console to start the tactic of getting your site with the model new domain crawled. Inside the search console settings, you’ll moreover provide the possibility to inform Google of your new domain name. To try this, navigate to your earlier domain and uncover the change of deal with carry out. Submit your request for a model new domain and Google will begin the tactic of indexing your new domain. 

If you might have an enormous site with many pages, Google moreover recommends submitting an XML sitemap. This could also be completed contained in the Search Console by clicking on Sitemaps on the left menu house. If you’re using WordPress, plugins like Yoast can shortly create this sitemap for you.

In that case, you’ll get away with merely submitting your homepage for indexing.

Aside from updating Google, inform any websites in the mean time linking to you about your present switch to change domain names. This is the place that SEO audit will are available helpful. Reach out to any websites providing inbound hyperlinks and ask them to substitute the URL they’re linking to.

Bonus steps to assure your new domain’s success

What we’ve lined to date are the necessary steps to change your domain name. But, there are a pair additional points you’re able to do to help hold and develop your site’s SEO. To begin, let your viewers discover out about your transition to a model new domain. Spread the phrase by means of your site, social media, and your e mail guidelines. Be optimistic everyone is conscious of with reference to the upcoming change so that they’re not caught off guard or confused.

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Also, take into consideration having a great deal of modern content material materials on the market, corresponding to weblog posts. This will help unfold the phrase and generate modern link-building options for your new domain instantly. Offer worthwhile content material materials that completely different websites will want to hyperlink to. This will ship sturdy alerts to Google and your site’s SEO ought to see a reward.

In conclusion…

The decision to change domain names is one factor you possibly can be in the mean time coping with with your site. And although doing so will seemingly set off a brief lived dip in search ranking, you may have the opportunity to reduce the damaging outcomes. Just observe the important steps outlined on this text:

• Perform an internet site audit.
• Migrate your site.
• Apply 301 redirects to your web site.
• Let Google know of the change in domain.
• Take additional steps like sharing with your viewers and publishing link-worthy content material materials.

Hopefully, you’ve found this textual content helpful. Here’s to your new domain and your site’s success!