Domain Changes & SEO for Web Designers — How to Change Domains and Maintain Your Client’s SEO Performance

As your client's business evolves, they may want to change their domain name. There are several reasons a client may want to change their domain including:

• New brand. It’s time to update their website to reflect the new brand name. That includes changing the domain.
• They'd like a shorter, simpler domain name. A better domain name is now available, and they'd like to utilize it.
• Legal implications. A client may be required to change their domain because of trademark infringement or other legal issues.

There are a lot of considerations when changing domains, including SEO. In this post, we’ll share the steps to make a smooth transition in the search results as you change domains.

Does Changing a Domain Name Affect SEO?

Yes, changing a domain name can impact SEO. The search engines have indexed the pages on the existing domain. The change throws the search engines into a loop.

Moreover, your current domain has an established track record. This track record is in the form of authority. Your current domain’s authority helps propel your content to the top of the search results.

The good news is that you can safely change a domain name and preserve traffic by following steps that communicate the change to the search engines and your website visitors.

How to Change Domains without Losing SEO

Each domain change is a little different. Create a to-do list in your project management tool detailing each step in the process. The steps below focus on the critical components of the transition from an SEO standpoint. Another great resource is this documentation on website moves from Google.

1. Make sure the new URL is sound.

If you are going to make this move, you want to understand the history of your new domain fully. If you purchased an entirely new domain, then there is no history. You can move to step 2. But, if you purchase a domain from a third party, you want to understand its history.

A big part of a domain’s history is its backlink network. Other websites might link to this domain. You want to ensure the domain has a solid backlink network and hasn’t been red-flagged for suspicious activity such as low-value link building.

To do so, go to the aHrefs Backlink Checker. Explore the list of backlinks along with the authority of the domain. Make sure that this new domain is a good one.

2. Create a list of existing backlinks.

Identify where the current domain has built its authority via backlinks. A tool like aHrefs Backlink Checker helps you create a list to export and save in a spreadsheet. This may come in handy down the road if you decide to reach out to those partners who linked to your client's website to request they update the domain in the backlinks.

3. Verify the current site in the Google Search Console.

This sets you up for success in submitting a change of address request after the domain migration is complete. Also, it allows you to review their current performance to better assess the estimated level of impact of the change.

4. Make a list of current brand profiles.

After the migration is complete, you will want to work with your client to update their URL on their brand properties beyond their website. For example, Facebook, Google Maps, Yelp, etc. all have a field for domain. By updating these after the migration, you give Google more clues to support the change.

5. Migrate the site to the new domain.

When you are ready, you can migrate your site to this new domain. Be ready immediately after this change to delve into the SEO-specific tasks highlighted in the following steps.