Summary
Migrating to a new domain involves a multifaceted approach encompassing both technical SEO considerations and email deliverability best practices. Experts recommend using subdomains for different email types (transactional, marketing, sales) and avoiding 'cousin' domains, while reserving the bare domain for P2P messages. Documenting existing URLs, implementing 301 redirects, updating internal links, and resubmitting sitemaps are crucial for SEO preservation. Additionally, warming up the new domain gradually by increasing sending volume while closely monitoring deliverability is essential for establishing a good sender reputation. Consider the age of the domain and thoroughly test the new site within a staging environment prior to migration.
Key findings
- Strategic Subdomain Usage: Employing subdomains for segmented email streams isolates sending reputation and enhances deliverability.
- 301 Redirect Implementation: Utilizing 301 redirects is paramount to preserving SEO authority and directing users correctly.
- Domain Warm-up Importance: Gradually increasing sending volume to the new domain is key for building a positive sender reputation with mailbox providers.
- Comprehensive URL Mapping: Create a detailed URL map facilitates accurate redirection implementation during migration.
- Internal Link Optimization: Optimizing internal links pointing to the new domain improves user experience and supports SEO.
Key considerations
- Email Infrastructure: Choosing the optimal configuration for corporate mail is essential to prevent compromising the core sending domain's reputation.
- Domain Reputation: The age and historical reputation of the new domain has a direct impact on email deliverability.
- Pre-migration Testing: Validating the new website on a staging environment prior to going live helps to surface any potential configuration or performance issues.
- Search Engine Visibility: Executing migration carefully minimizes potential disruption in organic search rankings.
- Subdirectory vs Subdomain Strategy: Evaluate the long-term SEO impacts to determine appropriate usage of subdirectories compared to subdomains.
What email marketers say
12 marketer opinions
Migrating to a new domain requires a strategic approach to maintain email deliverability and SEO performance. Experts recommend using subdomains for different email types (transactional, marketing, sales) while reserving the primary domain for peer-to-peer communication. Avoid cousin domains, as they can confuse users. For SEO, map old URLs to new ones and implement 301 redirects. Update internal links, resubmit your sitemap, and consider building new backlinks. Warming up the new domain by gradually increasing sending volume is essential. Using subdirectories is generally better for SEO than subdomains because it consolidates link authority to the main domain. Before migrating, it's important to test the new site in a staging environment and to create a URL map before migrating.
Key opinions
- Subdomain Usage: Utilize subdomains (e.g., transactional.newdomain.com) for different email streams to isolate reputation and maintain deliverability.
- 301 Redirects: Implement 301 redirects from old URLs to new URLs to preserve SEO value and user experience.
- URL Mapping: Create a comprehensive URL map before migration to ensure proper redirection of all pages.
- Internal Link Updates: Update all internal links to point to the new domain to avoid broken links and maintain SEO.
- Domain Warm-up: Gradually warm up the new domain by slowly increasing sending volume to build a positive sending reputation.
Key considerations
- Corporate Mail Strategy: Decide whether to move corporate email to the new primary domain or keep it separate to avoid deliverability issues.
- SEO Impact: Carefully plan and execute the migration to minimize negative impacts on search engine rankings.
- Staging Environment: Test the new website in a staging environment before going live to ensure all functionality works as expected.
- Backlink Strategy: Develop a strategy to build new high-quality backlinks to the new domain to recover or improve SEO.
- Monitoring: Monitor traffic and SEO performance after migration to identify and address any issues quickly.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Reddit says that generally, using subdirectories (e.g., yourdomain.com/blog) is better for SEO than subdomains (e.g., blog.yourdomain.com) because it consolidates link authority to the main domain.
10 Aug 2024 - Reddit
Marketer view
Email marketer from Webmasters Stack Exchange explains that when changing domains, you should set up a permanent redirect from each old URL to its new URL. You can do this using a `.htaccess` file on an Apache server.
26 Oct 2022 - Webmasters Stack Exchange
What the experts say
2 expert opinions
When migrating to a new domain, domain reputation is critical for email deliverability. Experts recommend warming up the new domain by gradually increasing sending volume while carefully monitoring deliverability metrics. The age of the domain is another factor to consider, as older domains may have an established reputation that impacts sending performance.
Key opinions
- Domain Warm-up: Warming up a new domain is crucial for establishing a positive sending reputation. Slowly increase sending volume to avoid triggering spam filters.
- Domain Age: The age of the domain can influence deliverability; older domains may have pre-existing reputations (positive or negative).
Key considerations
- Gradual Migration: Avoid abruptly switching all email traffic to the new domain. A gradual transition allows you to monitor performance and adjust strategies as needed.
- Deliverability Monitoring: Closely monitor deliverability metrics (bounce rates, spam complaints, inbox placement) during and after the migration to identify and address any issues.
- Reputation Assessment: Assess the current reputation of both the old and new domains to understand potential challenges and opportunities.
Expert view
Expert from Spamresource highlights that older domains often have an established reputation, which can impact deliverability. Assess whether the age of the new domain will affect sending performance.
13 Oct 2024 - Spamresource
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise emphasizes the importance of warming up the new domain before fully migrating. Gradually increase sending volume and monitor deliverability to build a positive reputation.
25 May 2024 - Word to the Wise
What the documentation says
3 technical articles
When migrating to a new domain, search engine documentation emphasizes the importance of using 301 redirects to permanently redirect each URL from the old domain to the corresponding page on the new domain. This is crucial for preserving search engine rankings and ensuring users are properly directed. The domain migration process involves crawling the old site, planning URL changes, implementing redirects, updating internal links, monitoring performance, and communicating changes to relevant teams. An SEO migration checklist should include backing up the website, auditing the existing site, planning the new site structure, implementing 301 redirects, and continuously monitoring performance post-migration.
Key findings
- 301 Redirects: Implementing 301 redirects is essential for maintaining SEO value during a domain migration.
- Comprehensive Planning: Domain migration requires a well-structured plan that includes crawling, auditing, and structuring the new site.
- Continuous Monitoring: Monitoring performance after the migration is critical to identify and address any issues promptly.
Key considerations
- SEO Impact: Carefully manage the migration to minimize negative impacts on search engine rankings.
- Communication: Communicate the migration plan to relevant teams to ensure a coordinated effort.
- Backup: Back up your website before starting the migration to prevent data loss.
Technical article
Documentation from Google Search Central explains that when moving your site to a new domain, you should use 301 redirects to permanently redirect each URL from the old domain to the corresponding page on the new domain. This helps preserve search engine rankings and ensures users are directed to the correct pages.
10 May 2022 - Google Search Central
Technical article
Documentation from Moz explains that changing domains can be a large SEO project, but the basic steps for a domain migration are: crawl the old site, plan URL changes, implement redirects, update internal links, monitor, and communicate the change to your teams.
16 Aug 2023 - Moz
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