Migrating a website is like moving to a new house. Exciting? Yes. Stress-free? Not really. Just like you don’t want to lose your couch along the way, you don’t want to lose your traffic either. The key? Smart, sticky redirect maps. Done right, they can guide your users—and search engines—without a single hiccup.
What is a site migration?
Before we get into redirect maps, let’s first understand what we’re talking about. A site migration happens when a website changes its setup or structure in a big way. This could be:
- Switching from HTTP to HTTPS
- Changing your domain name
- Moving to a new CMS
- Changing URLs (for SEO or branding reasons)
- Combining two sites into one
All of these are good reasons to migrate. But beware—if done wrong, it could cost you rankings, visibility, and visitors. That’s where redirect maps come in.
So, what is a redirect map?
Think of a redirect map as your “Change of Address” card for the web. It’s a list that tells browsers—and more importantly, Google—where each old page now lives on your new site.
It’s usually a spreadsheet. One column with old URLs. Another with their new homes. But it’s more than just copy-paste. Done right, it keeps your SEO juice flowing. Done wrong, it’s like dropping a trail of breadcrumbs… in a tornado.
Why do you need them to stick?
You made the move. Great! But what happens when someone clicks on an old link? Or when Google crawls an old URL? Without redirects, they hit a dead end. That means bad news for SEO, user experience, and your missed opportunities.
With a sticky redirect, the browser says, “Hey, the place you’re looking for moved—follow me.” And voila! They’re on the new page without even noticing.
Types of redirects to know
Redirects aren’t one-size-fits-all. Here are the most common types:
- 301 Permanent Redirect: This means the old page is gone for good. Google transfers most of the SEO value to the new page.
- 302 Temporary Redirect: Useful when you plan to bring the old page back. Not ideal for a site move.
- Meta Refresh Redirect: Uses HTML to send users to a new page. Rarely used today. Often slow and less SEO-friendly.
For migrations, 301 redirects are your best friend.
How to build a redirect map that works
Building a good redirect map isn’t rocket science. But it does take care and planning. Here’s how you do it step by step:
1. Crawl your old site
Use tools like Screaming Frog or Sitebulb to crawl your current site. This gives you a list of all URLs that are live, indexed, and important.
2. Map old URLs to new ones
Make a spreadsheet. Column A: old URLs. Column B: new URLs. Try to match content as closely as possible. If there’s no relevant new page, send the user to the closest category or informative page. Don’t just point everything to the home page. Google hates that.
3. Implement redirects on your server
This could be in your htaccess file, Nginx config, or CMS redirect module. Here’s what a 301 redirect might look like in .htaccess:
Redirect 301 /old-page https://www.newsite.com/new-page
4. Test everything
Before going live, test your redirects in batches. Use tools like Redirect Checker or Chrome Dev Tools. It’s like proofreading before publishing. Don’t skip this step!
5. Monitor post-launch
After launch, use Google Search Console and analytics tools to track traffic. Watch for 404 errors. Make quick fixes. Adapt and overcome.
Tips to make redirects “stick” long-term
Your redirects shouldn’t be temporary duct tape. They should be more like Gorilla Glue—long-lasting and dependable. Here’s how to do that:
- Don’t delete old URLs right away. Keep them redirecting for at least a year.
- Update internal links. Make sure your new site links to the new pages directly. Don’t chain redirects.
- Avoid redirect loops. One-to-one, clean, and direct is the goal.
- Use canonical tags smartly. Let Google know the correct version of a page to index.
- Set up sitemap updates. Let Google discover all the new pages with an updated sitemap.xml.
Common redirect map mistakes (and how to dodge them)
Even the best plans can go sideways. Watch out for these classic oopsies:
- Sending every URL to the homepage. It’s lazy and confuses search engines. Match content with meaning.
- Redirect chains. That’s when a URL redirects to another redirected URL. Not cool. Flatten them for speed and clarity.
- Broken or mistyped URLs. A single typo in your map? That link won’t go anywhere. Double-check before deployment.
- Forgetting about mobile and AMP. Make sure all devices and versions are covered in the map.
- Not involving your SEO team. Big mistake. Let them review the map before it’s live.
Success story: From chaos to clicks
Let’s talk about Jay. He had an e-commerce site that he moved to a sleeker CMS. He didn’t set up redirect maps because “it looked like too much work.” Oops. His traffic tanked. Panic set in.
We jumped in, built a redirect map from his old catalog to new product pages, and even salvaged some broken links through archive.org. Within 3 weeks, traffic and rankings started bouncing back. A few sales came in that same day. A happy ending—and a vital lesson.
Final words: Migrate smarter, not harder
Migrations don’t have to be scary. With a sticky redirect map, you can keep your users happy, your SEO healthy, and your boss off your back. It’s all about planning, precision, and patience.
So next time your site is ready for the big move, remember your secret weapon: a redirect map that sticks—and sticks well.
