BY SPRAY MEDIA · UPDATED 22 SEPTEMBER 2026
Record a useful baseline
Before rebuilding, export the current page URLs and review Search Console and Analytics where available. Identify pages that attract search clicks, relevant enquiries or useful links from other websites.
Keep a dated record of the main metrics. Search results vary over time, so compare trends and page groups instead of treating a single day’s ranking as the whole story.
Keep valuable content and sensible addresses
Do not remove a useful page just because it does not fit the first design concept. Work out whether to retain, improve or combine it. Preserve clear page addresses where that suits the new structure.
When combining content, make sure the new page answers the same underlying need. Sending every old URL to the homepage is rarely a helpful customer experience.
Map changed URLs before launch
Create a simple old URL to new URL list. Give each retired page an appropriate destination where one exists, then implement permanent redirects. Test the actual response and destination rather than only checking that a rule exists in a dashboard.
Check internal links, canonicals and sitemap entries against the final addresses. A new site should link directly to its own live pages rather than relying on unnecessary redirect chains.
Check the details that can be missed
Confirm that production pages are available to crawlers, important content is present in the page HTML, and preview-only noindex settings have not reached the live site. Check meaningful titles, descriptions, headings and image alternatives.
Review mobile usability and image delivery. Build pages around useful information and a clear enquiry path, rather than repeating location names or keywords without adding value.
Watch the live site after launch
Submit the current sitemap in Search Console and inspect important pages. Look for unexpected missing pages, redirect errors and indexing changes. Recheck the main enquiry paths after the domain switch.
Some search movement can happen after a rebuild. No migration checklist can guarantee rankings, but a documented baseline and clear URL map make it much easier to identify and fix a problem.