SEO Migration Services
SEO Migration Services Built to Preserve Rankings
Award-winning — 99%+ Ranking Preservation. Zero Traffic Loss.
Moving to a new domain, platform, or URL structure? Without proper SEO migration, you risk losing years of organic equity. We've completed 50+ migrations with 99%+ ranking preservation.
Companies we've worked with
Novidea: Top of Search for "Insurance Software" UK + US in 3 Months
Novidea had serious indexability issues keeping its insurtech SaaS platform out of Google's index. We led the site migration to fix the technical foundation — crawl architecture, canonicalisation, render path, hreflang for dual-market — then layered topical content depth and link signal alignment around the primary commercial keyword.
Of search
Post-migration to ranking
"Insurance software"
Real SERP
Overview
What is an SEO Migration?
An SEO migration is the process of moving a website from one domain, platform, or URL structure to another while preserving organic search rankings and traffic.
Migrations are high-risk. Get it wrong and you can lose years of SEO equity overnight. Get it right and you maintain (or even improve) your organic performance.
Common migration types include domain changes, HTTPS migrations, CMS platform changes (WordPress to Shopify, etc.), URL restructuring, and site redesigns.
We handle the full migration process: planning, redirect mapping, implementation, monitoring, and post-migration optimization.
A poorly managed migration can cost you 50-80% of organic traffic. We've never lost more than 1%.
Visionary is a world-leading SEO agency trusted by brands across the UK and beyond. Our senior specialists combine deep technical expertise with commercial strategy to deliver measurable organic growth.
Risk calculator
Score Your Migration Risk Before You Launch
Most agency migration pages tell you migrations are 'risk-free with us'. They aren't. Below is the pre-launch risk calculator we run on every Visionary migration. Score yours; the higher the number, the more pre-launch parity work the migration needs. Below 25/100 is a green-light. Above 65/100 is a hold-and-rebuild.
Risk score
55/100
AmberAmber — close the top-3 gaps before launch.
Top-3 highest-risk variables
- 01Migration type: CMS swap
- 02URL changes (60%)
- 03Redirect coverage gap (20%)
Traffic-loss bands
Typical Traffic-Loss by Migration Type — What's Normal, What's Not
Most agencies promise 'no traffic loss'. The honest answer: every migration loses some traffic short-term — the question is how much, for how long, and whether it recovers. Below are the typical traffic-loss bands by migration type from our portfolio Q1 2026. Above the band = something went wrong.
| Dimension | Migration type | Typical short-term loss | Recovery window | Above-band warning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HTTPS-only swap | 1–3% | 2–4 weeks | >5% loss | |
| CMS swap (same domain) | 5–15% | 8–12 weeks | >20% loss | |
| Full replatform (new CMS + templates) | 10–30% | 12–24 weeks | >35% loss | |
| Domain swap (rebrand) | 15–40% | 16–28 weeks | >50% loss | |
| Redesign-only (URLs preserved) | 0–5% | 2–6 weeks | >10% loss |
Sources: Visionary client portfolio migration data Q1 2026. Bands assume 1:1 redirect coverage and pre-launch test environment availability.
Phased rollout case
A Real Migration — Phased Rollout in Action
Single anonymised case showing exactly what a Visionary phased migration looks like in practice.
-2% peak traffic dip · full recovery week 6 · zero ranking loss on top-50 commercial keywords
Mid-market e-commerce client moving from a legacy CMS to a modern Shopify Plus build. ~2,500 SKUs, ~150 category pages, ~80 blog posts. Pre-launch parity build over 4 weeks: 1:1 redirect mapping for every existing URL, schema parity across product templates, content word-count parity audited per page. Phased 10% → 50% → 100% rollout over 2 weeks.
Week -4 to -1
Pre-launch parity build
Test environment, redirect mapping, schema parity
Week 0
Soft launch
10% of traffic
Week 1
Phased ramp
50% of traffic
Week 2
Full cutover
100% + GSC monitoring
Week 3–4
Post-launch fixes
Broken redirects, schema validation, indexation cleanup
Week 5–6
Recovery confirmation
Top-50 keyword baseline, traffic curve flat
"The phased rollout is the difference between a migration and a disaster. Visionary's pre-launch parity work was relentless and that's what kept the traffic curve flat."
Migration checklist
The 47-Point Migration Checklist — Free Download
Below is the 47-point checklist we run on every Visionary migration. Pre-launch, during launch, post-launch — three phases, 47 checks. Download the full version as a working PDF. Most agencies don't publish theirs. We do because the discipline is the work.
Phase 1 — Pre-launch (week -4 to -1)
22 items- 1:1 redirect map built for every existing URL
- Test environment crawled with Screaming Frog (parity audit)
- Schema parity audited per template (Product, Article, FAQ, BreadcrumbList)
- Content parity audited (word count, primary keyword retention)
- Image alt text + file names preserved
- Internal linking map preserved
- Sitemap.xml updated for new URLs
- robots.txt configured for test → live transition
- Canonical strategy validated
- Hreflang annotations validated (multi-region)
- … + 12 more in the downloadable PDF
Phase 2 — Launch (week 0–1)
13 items- Soft-launch on 10% traffic
- Real-time GSC monitoring active
- Crawl errors monitored hourly first 24h, daily first week
- Server response codes audited
- Redirect chain validation
- Indexation count tracked daily
- … + 7 more in the downloadable PDF
Phase 3 — Post-launch (week 2+)
12 items- Broken-redirect cleanup
- Schema validation against Rich Results Test
- Lost-page recovery plan executed
- Position monitoring against pre-launch baseline
- … + 8 more in the downloadable PDF
Free download
Download the full 47-point Migration Checklist as a working PDF
Three phases, every check — the discipline behind every Visionary migration.
Process comparison
Visionary Migration Process vs Typical Agency Process
The technical work is hard but knowable. The discipline of running it phased and monitored is what separates a migration from a disaster.
| Dimension | Stage | Typical agency process | Visionary process |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-launch parity audit | 1–2 weeks; checklist-driven | 4 weeks minimum; parity-driven (test env crawl required) | |
| Redirect mapping | URL list provided to dev team | 1:1 mapping for every URL with redirect-chain validation | |
| Schema preservation | 'Best effort' | Schema parity validated against Rich Results Test on test env | |
| Content parity | Word count check | Word count + primary keyword + heading hierarchy + dateModified preserved | |
| Test environment | Optional | Mandatory — full crawl + audit before any change goes live | |
| Launch model | Single-day cutover common | Phased rollout (10% → 50% → 100% over 2 weeks) | |
| Monitoring cadence | Weekly post-launch reports | Hourly first 24h, daily first week, weekly first 4 weeks | |
| Recovery plan | Reactive | Pre-built (top-50 keyword baseline, lost-page playbook) | |
| Reporting transparency | Summary dashboard | Live dashboard + every check logged |
Migration failures are governance failures. The table below maps stage-by-stage where typical agencies cut corners and where we don't.
FAQ
Most Common SEO Migration Questions
Last reviewed: 28 April 2026 by Chris Coussons, Founder.
BullX: $1m+ in Organic Search Revenue in Six Months — From Zero
BullX is a crypto trading platform that engaged Visionary at ground zero — no rankings, no authority, no backlinks. Six months later, organic search was driving over a million dollars in attributable revenue, built through keyword research, technical SEO foundation, content production at velocity, and link building from a blank profile.
Organic revenue
Engagement window
Starting authority
Vertical
"Ended up just stopping the ads because demand is so high. We're booked out for at least a month."
Interlinked Wellness
What's Included
What Our Expert SEO Services Include
Fully managed campaigns
Migration is just the beginning. Our managed service ensures your site continues to grow after the move, with ongoing optimisation that builds on your preserved authority.
Learn moreTechnical SEO
Migrations are the ultimate technical SEO challenge. We handle redirect mapping, canonical management, sitemap updates, and crawl testing to ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
Learn moreOn-page SEO
During migration, on-page elements often get lost or reformatted. We audit every page template to ensure title tags, headers, and structured data transfer accurately.
Learn moreContent strategy
Migrations are an opportunity to consolidate thin content and strengthen your topical authority. We map existing content, identify gaps, and plan improvements for the new site.
Learn moreLink building
Your backlink profile is at risk during migration. We map every externally linked URL, ensure redirects preserve link equity, and monitor for broken backlinks post-launch.
Learn moreLocal SEO
Multi-location businesses face extra migration complexity. We ensure every location page, local schema, and Google Business Profile link is updated correctly post-migration.
Learn moreMobile SEO
New platforms often change mobile rendering. We test every page type on mobile devices before and after migration to catch issues that could impact mobile-first indexing.
Learn moreAI-powered SEO
AI-assisted content matching and redirect mapping reduces migration risk. Our models identify the best redirect targets based on content similarity and authority signals.
Learn moreSEO migration
We've managed 50+ site migrations with zero ranking drops. Our process covers pre-migration auditing, redirect strategy, staging testing, and 90-day post-launch monitoring.
Learn moreOur Process
How We Handle Migrations
Pre-Migration Audit
Full crawl of existing site. Map all URLs, rankings, backlinks, and traffic patterns.
Redirect Strategy
1:1 redirect mapping for every URL. No blanket redirects. Every page accounted for.
Implementation
Technical implementation with staging environment testing before going live.
Post-Migration Monitoring
30-90 day monitoring period. Catch and fix any issues immediately.
Why Us
Why Work With Visionary?
Zero Traffic Loss
99%+ ranking preservation across 50+ migrations. Our track record speaks for itself.
Every URL Mapped
No blanket redirects. Every single URL is individually mapped and accounted for.
Fast Recovery
Most migrations show full recovery within 2-4 weeks with our approach.
Ongoing Monitoring
30-90 days of post-migration monitoring included in every project.
Our People
Meet Our Specialists
Chris Coussons
Founder & Migration Lead
50+ migrations completed. Zero significant traffic losses.
Google Ads & SEO Specialist
FAQ
Common Questions
Start Here
Your Revenue. Our Obsession.
Tell us about your business and we'll show you exactly where the opportunities are — no obligation, no sales pitch.
■ Senior specialists only
■ No long-term contracts
■ Free audit included