Migrating to Shopify can hurt your SEO if not done right. Broken URLs, metadata loss, and poor redirects can lead to drops in rankings and revenue. Here’s how to protect your SEO:
- Pre-Migration:
- Conduct a full SEO audit (URLs, metadata, traffic data).
- Back up all site data (content, images, configurations).
- Plan URL redirects to avoid broken links.
- During Migration:
- Set up accurate 301 redirects.
- Verify data transfer (products, metadata, customer records).
- Optimise SEO settings (mobile performance, schema markup).
- Post-Migration:
- Monitor rankings, traffic, and crawl errors daily.
- Fix broken links and update sitemaps.
- Ensure backlinks and internal links work properly.
Before You Migrate
Getting ready is key to protecting your SEO performance during a Shopify migration. Here’s how to prepare and ensure your rankings remain intact.
Complete SEO Audit
Start by gathering baseline performance data. Focus on these areas:
- URL Structure: Record patterns for categories, products, and blogs.
- Performance Metrics: Note search rankings, organic traffic, and conversion rates, especially for the top 20% of pages driving traffic.
- Technical Elements: Catalogue meta titles, header tags, image alt text, schema markup, XML sitemaps, and robots.txt.
Website Data Backup
Always back up your website data before making any changes. Here’s what to save:
- Content: Include product details, blog posts, category pages, and landing pages.
- Media: Download and organise product images (with alt text), videos, resources, fonts, and icons.
- Configurations: Keep copies of analytics codes, custom scripts, API integrations, and app settings.
URL Redirect Planning
A solid redirect plan is essential for a smooth transition. Here’s what to do:
- URL Mapping: Create a spreadsheet with current URLs, new Shopify URLs, 301 redirect types, and traffic/backlink priorities.
- Testing: Set up a process to avoid redirect chains and test redirects on mobile, desktop, and different browsers.
- Rollout: Schedule pre-migration testing, phased implementation, and monitor redirects for 30 days post-migration.
Migration Steps
Data Transfer Setup
Properly setting up data transfer is key to keeping your SEO intact during migration. Pay attention to these technical areas:
Product Data Migration
- Match product URLs to your redirect mapping.
- Keep all meta descriptions and titles intact.
- Transfer product variants along with their full attribute details.
- Preserve product collections and category structures.
Customer and Order History
- Export customer profiles, including purchase history and order records, while keeping original dates.
To maintain data accuracy and SEO signals, migrate in stages: start with products, then move to customers, and finish with orders. Once the transfer is complete, verify that redirects are working as intended to maintain link equity.
Redirect Testing
Testing redirects thoroughly is essential to avoid losing traffic and ensure link equity remains intact. Follow these steps:
Pre-Launch Testing
- Test redirects in a staging environment.
- Cross-check each redirect against your URL mapping spreadsheet.
- Look for and resolve redirect chains or loops.
- Check server response times for all redirects.
Mobile and Desktop Verification
- Test redirects on both mobile and desktop devices.
- Confirm canonical tags are accurate.
- Ensure navigation paths function correctly.
- Review internal link structures for consistency.
“Your store migration is in expert hands. We’ve seamlessly migrated major stores to Shopify, driving substantial sales growth.” – Alinga
Once redirects are verified, adjust your theme settings for optimal performance and mobile compatibility.
SEO Theme Setup
Your theme setup plays a big role in search visibility. Focus on these areas:
Performance Optimisation
- Use automatic image compression.
- Enable lazy loading for images.
- Reduce JavaScript and CSS file sizes.
- Set up browser caching.
- Ensure all pages have a responsive design.
- Test navigation paths on mobile devices.
- Confirm readiness for mobile-first indexing.
- Check mobile loading speeds.
Schema Implementation
- Add product schema markup.
- Set up organisation schema.
- Implement breadcrumb schema.
- Configure review schema.
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After Migration Checks
SEO Data Tracking
Keep a close eye on SEO performance after migration. Set up tracking tools to ensure everything runs smoothly:
Google Analytics 4 Setup
- Configure ecommerce tracking.
- Set up custom channel groupings.
- Enable enhanced measurement features.
- Build migration-specific dashboards for detailed insights.
Search Console Monitoring
Track the following metrics daily for the first month:
- Crawl stats and coverage reports.
- Core Web Vitals performance.
- Mobile usability issues.
- Search appearance data.
Compare pre- and post-migration data to spot any traffic or ranking shifts. Once metrics stabilise, continue with daily error checks and speed audits.
Error Fixes and Speed Tests
Daily technical audits are essential to maintain site health and rankings:
Error Checks
- Run daily crawls to catch 404 errors.
- Check server response codes.
- Verify the robots.txt file is accessible.
- Ensure the SSL certificate is active and valid.
Performance Testing
Focus on these speed benchmarks:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) under 2.5 seconds.
- First Input Delay (FID) below 100 milliseconds.
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) under 0.1.
Use tools like PageSpeed Insights and GTmetrix to test site speed, especially on mobile devices, as mobile performance heavily impacts rankings.
Index and Link Updates
Make sure your new site structure is properly indexed and linked:
Sitemap Management
- Submit updated XML sitemaps to search engines.
- Monitor indexing rates daily.
- Remove outdated store URLs from the index.
- Update store location structured data.
Backlink Profile Updates
Reach out to key referring domains to update their links. Prioritise:
- High-authority industry sites.
- Major business directories.
- Partner and supplier websites.
- Social media profiles.
Use Search Console to monitor your backlink profile and ensure link equity is transferring correctly.
Content Verification
- Confirm meta data is implemented correctly.
- Check the accuracy of schema markup.
- Verify canonical tags are set up properly.
- Review the internal linking structure.
Continue monitoring these areas for at least three months after migration to maintain your rankings. Address any issues quickly to avoid traffic losses.
Ongoing SEO Work
Content Updates
After a site migration, keeping your content updated is key to maintaining rankings. Focus on these two areas:
- Product Page Optimisation
Update product descriptions and variants with relevant keywords, refresh meta descriptions regularly, and use structured data to enable rich snippets. - Blog Content Strategy
Stick to a consistent publishing schedule with content like:- Product guides and how-tos
- Industry news breakdowns
- Customer success stories
- Seasonal buying guides
These updates help sustain the SEO groundwork laid during migration.
Link Management
Once you’ve completed your post-migration checks, managing your link profile is essential to keep rankings steady:
- Internal Link Structure
Regularly review category hierarchies, update collection page links, optimise cross-links between products, and ensure your site architecture stays clear and intuitive. - External Link Monitoring
Use tools like Google Search Console to:- Fix broken backlinks
- Update outdated anchor text
- Convert HTTP links to HTTPS
- Remove harmful backlinks quickly
Regular Site Checks
Set up regular site reviews to catch issues early:
- Weekly Checks
Audit Core Web Vitals, crawl errors, and index coverage weekly. Keep an eye on mobile usability trends and search appearance data. - Monthly Audits
Dive deeper with technical SEO reviews, assess content performance, track keyword rankings, and monitor conversion rates.
Summary
Migration SEO Checklist
Here’s a quick checklist to guide your migration strategy through its key phases:
| Phase | Key Actions |
|---|---|
| Pre-Migration | • Conduct a technical SEO audit • Back up website data • Map out URL structure • Document SEO baseline metrics |
| During Migration | • Set up 301 redirects • Verify data transfer accuracy • Configure SEO settings • Monitor site accessibility |
| Post-Migration | • Track Core Web Vitals • Fix crawl errors • Update sitemaps • Monitor ranking performance |
Use this checklist as a guide and consider expert assistance for a smoother migration process.
Alinga Migration Support
Alinga offers a Shopify Plus migration service designed to maintain your SEO performance with a thorough and structured approach, including:
- Data migration while preserving key information
- SEO-friendly theme development
- Mobile optimisation for better usability
- Ongoing developer support on a monthly basis
- Performance tracking and analytics
- Strategies tailored to the Australian market
- Priority technical support
- Customised SEO implementations
For more complex migrations, Alinga provides tailored solutions to protect organic traffic and apply proven SEO practices. Based on the Gold Coast, their expertise ensures your migration aligns with Australian search standards.
Keep applying expert strategies to safeguard and enhance your SEO after migration.
Are you thinking about transitioning to Shopify? Alinga makes transferring effortless, safe, and easy. We manage every aspect, from data and product transfers to design copy and SEO maintenance, so your store operates seamlessly. Don’t allow your fear of technology to restrict you. You can have confidence in Alinga to offer an effortless transition to Shopify and to prepare your business for significant growth. To start the transformation, contact us right away!
