What Is Domain Migration?
Domain migration is the process of moving your website from one domain name to another while preserving as much SEO value, traffic, and user experience as possible. This typically involves setting up 301 redirects from every page on the old domain to the corresponding page on the new domain.
A well-executed domain migration should transfer most of your search engine rankings, backlink value, and bookmark traffic. However, some temporary ranking fluctuations are normal — Google needs time to process the change, and you may see a dip in organic traffic for weeks or months.
Common reasons for domain migration include rebranding, upgrading from an alternative TLD to .com, moving from a free subdomain to a custom domain, or consolidating multiple domains into one.
Why This Matters for Startups
Many startups go through at least one domain migration as they grow. Common paths: free subdomain → custom domain (yourapp.netlify.app → yourapp.com), alternative TLD → .com (brand.io → brand.com), or rebrand (oldname.com → newname.com). Plan your migration carefully: set up proper 301 redirects for every URL, update Google Search Console, notify important linking sites, and keep the old domain redirecting for at least 1–2 years. The SEO cost of a poorly executed migration can set you back months.
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