SEO results

  • Unknown's avatar
    spencer3d2e441b8a · Member ·

    I have been working on a WP website to replace our company’s existing WP website. When I finish, I will move it to the existing URL. We are slightly changing the name, i.e. dropping one non-descriptive word. How do we ensure that all of our SEO seniority stays intact?

    The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)

  • Unknown's avatar
    james3265166 · Member ·

    Hi there! Moving to a slightly different domain name is a big step, and to keep your ‘SEO seniority’ intact, the most critical thing you need to set up is 301 Redirects. Since you are dropping a word from the name (changing the URL), Google treats the new site as a completely new entity unless you explicitly tell it otherwise. You will need to ensure that every single old URL (e.g., oldsite.com/about) automatically redirects to its exact counterpart on the new domain (newsite.com/about). On WordPress.com, you can often use the Site Redirect feature, or if you are self-hosting, a plugin like ‘Redirection’ handles this beautifully. Additionally, don’t forget to submit a Change of Address in Google Search Console once the new site is live; this tells Google to transfer your ranking signals from the old domain to the new one much faster. Good luck with the launch!

  • dhananjaykuber · Staff ·

    Hi Spencer! 👋

    You’re right to be careful about SEO when changing your site’s URL. To keep your SEO “seniority” intact, here’s what you should do:

    1. Set Up 301 Redirects: Every old URL (e.g., oldsite.com/about) should automatically redirect to the exact page on your new domain (newsite.com/about). On WordPress.com, you can use the Site Redirect feature.
    2. Keep the Old Domain Connected During Development: This helps prevent 404 errors and ensures Google can still find your old pages.
    3. Submit a Change of Address in Google Search Console: Once the new site is live, tell Google about your new domain so it can transfer your ranking signals from the old domain to the new one more quickly.
    4. Maintain Content and Structure: Keep the same page URLs, headings, meta descriptions, and content structure as much as possible. This makes the transition smoother for SEO.

    Following these steps will help preserve your search rankings while moving to the new URL.

  • Unknown's avatar
    spencer3d2e441b8a · Member ·

    OK. Some things to think about.

    What if, instead of changing the URL, we kept the same URL and just uploaded a new WP website? Will we lose all of our “seniority” when we do that?

  • jonalynpuyong · Staff ·

    Hi @spencer3d2e441b8a,

    Replacing your site’s content by uploading the new version of your site will also affect your SEO, even if the URL stays the same.

    Here’s how it would impact your SEO ranking:

    • If you change the content and it no longer matches the keywords that brought traffic, your rankings might drop.
    • Major changes to content or site structure can cause search engines to re-crawl your pages, temporarily affecting your site’s visibility while Google reindexes it.
    • Make sure page titles and descriptions are still SEO-friendly after changing your site content.

    Now, to mitigate this impact:

    • Keep important pages at the same URLs or set up 301 redirects from old URLs to new ones
    • Maintain your most valuable content and keywords. Kindly ensure that your new content targets the same or similar keywords that were driving traffic to your site.
    • Submit your updated sitemap to Google Search Console to speed up reindexing
    • Monitor your rankings, traffic, and site performance in Google Search Console to spot any drops early and adjust your site’s content accordingly.

    Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.

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