Changing your domain name is a big move — whether you’re rebranding, consolidating, or expanding. But if not handled properly, it can cause significant damage to your search engine rankings, traffic, and online visibility. As a leading SEO analyst in Kochi who has faced the ups and downs of domain migration firsthand, here’s a complete checklist of what to consider from an SEO perspective before making the switch.

1. Audit the New Domain’s History

Before even touching a line of code or mapping URLs, run a full background check on the new domain:

• Use Wayback Machine to see what was previously hosted.
• Check for spammy or irrelevant content in the past.
• Use SEO tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to detect: Toxic backlinks, Anchor text profile, Manual actions or blacklisting

Search the domain in Google with site:yourdomain.com to see indexed pages.

2. Plan 301 Redirects Strategically

Set up 301 (permanent) redirects from every old URL to its exact corresponding new URL. This ensures:

• Link equity is passed
• Users land on relevant pages
• Google can understand the content relationship
  
  
  

3. Update Your XML Sitemap & Robots.txt

After migration:

• Submit a new XML sitemap with the updated URLs in Google Search Console.
• Make sure robots.txt allows Google to crawl your new domain.
• Remove any outdated disallow rules that might block essential content.
  
  

4. Maintain Consistency in On-Page SEO

Don’t change everything at once. Maintain:

• Title tags & meta descriptions
• Heading structure
• Internal linking
• Content hierarchy

Consistency helps Google recognize that the new domain reflects the same trusted content.

5. Notify Google and Bing About the Migration

Use the Change of Address tool in Google Search Console to officially inform Google about the domain move.

Also:

• Verify both old and new domains in GSC
• Monitor indexation and performance in both properties

6. Track Performance Closely Post-Migration

Migration is not a one-time job — it needs careful monitoring for the next 2–3 months:

• Check crawl errors and fix broken links
• Watch for sudden ranking drops
• Monitor backlinks and update high-authority sources with the new domain

Use tools like:

• Google Analytics
• Google Search Console
• Ahrefs / SEMrush

7. Update Your Backlinks and Mentions

Reach out to major websites linking to your old domain and ask them to update their backlinks.

Also update your domain across:

• Social media profiles
• Business directories
• Google Business Profile
• Email footers and newsletters