We're rebuilding the site, how do we avoid an SEO crash.
For a rebuild or platform switch, the URL mapping document is the single most important artefact. Without it you'll lose rankings you spent years on.
Try this first
- 1Pull the current URL list with Screaming Frog or Search Console export. Sort by organic traffic and backlinks, those are the URLs that actually matter.
- 2Build a mapping sheet: old URL, new URL, status code (301), notes. For pages that vanish pick the closest new page, not the homepage.
- 3Preserve existing URL structure where reasonable. A category-slug cleanup is tempting but every change is a redirect risk.
- 4Implement redirects at server level (.htaccess or nginx) or via a redirect plugin. Test every 301 with a crawler before launch, not after.
- 5Keep title, H1 and internal links as similar as possible. If content stays practically the same, relevance follows.
- 6Submit the new sitemap.xml in Search Console and monitor 404s and crawl errors daily for the first two weeks.
When to bring us in
If you have a lot of legacy content (5000+ URLs), international variants or a heavy backlink profile, hiring an SEO specialist for the migration pays back.
See also
- WordPress, plugins and theme have gone 6+ months without updatesOut-of-date WP is the number-one entry for malware. Don't just hit 'update all', back up first.
- Theme update broke the layout or threw a fatal errorThemes overwrite custom CSS on update unless you use a child theme.
- WordPress shows a blank screen after a plugin install or updateWSOD (white screen of death) is usually one crashing plugin. You isolate it.
None of the above fits?
Describe your situation below. We pass your input plus the steps you already saw to our AI and return tailored next-step advice. If it's too risky to DIY, we'll say so.
Or skip the DIY entirely
Our Managed IT clients do not look these things up. One point of contact, a fixed monthly price, resolved within working hours.