Moving an enterprise website is one of the most high-risk projects a marketing team will face. This playbook outlines every SEO workstream required to protect rankings and unlock growth.
Enterprise Site Migration
The highest-risk SEO project you'll face. Here's how to do it without losing traffic, rankings, or revenue.
Moving an enterprise website is one of the most high-risk projects a marketing and engineering team will face. With dozens of templates, legacy redirects, and stakeholders involved, it only takes one misstep to lose search visibility.
Enterprise Site Migration
Part 4 of Site Infrastructure
Protect rankings when everything changes
The Risk Reality
Migration Risk Reality
Missing redirects
Recovery: 3-6 months
Canonical confusion
Recovery: 2-4 months
Broken internal links
Recovery: 1-2 months
Schema markup errors
Recovery: 1-3 months
CWV regression
Recovery: 2-4 weeks
Every risk is preventable with proper planning.
10-Phase Process
Plan
Audit
Redirect
Test
Launch
Plan → Audit → Redirect → Test → Launch
The 8-Week Timeline
8-Week Migration Timeline
Blueprint
- Align stakeholders
- Document risks
- Set communication cadence
URL Inventory
- Crawl everything
- Export data points
- Flag for pruning
IA Architecture
- Map keyword research
- Define URL rules
- Plan breadcrumbs
Redirects
- One-to-one mapping
- Test in batches
- Avoid chains/loops
Technical Prep
- Staging validation
- Replicate analytics
- Benchmark CWV
Content Refresh
- Update top pages
- Internal linking
- Schema markup
Launch
- QA everything
- Deploy redirects
- Monitor closely
Missing redirects can cost you half your organic traffic
URL Inventory
This is the foundation of your redirect strategy. Skip it, and you're gambling with your rankings.
URL Mapping
/services/services/seo/services/seo/sydneyOld URL → New URL with 301 redirects
Redirect Strategy
Redirect Strategy Rules
Page moved
/old → /new
Page consolidated
/thin → /better
Page deleted
/old-post → /blog
Redirect chains
/a → /b → /c
Redirect loops
/a → /b → /a
Bulk wildcards
/old/* → /new/
Redirect Strategy
Bulk wildcards lose specificity and link equity
One-to-one mapping preserves every ranking signal
Launch Day
Launch Day Protocol
Pre-Launch (T-2 hours)
Launch (T-0)
Post-Launch (T+1 hour)
Launch Day
- ✓
Remove staging blockers
- ✓
Deploy all redirects
- ✓
Submit sitemaps to GSC
- ✓
Monitor for 4XX/5XX
Success Metrics
Less than 5% organic session drop within 30 days
Don't Become a Cautionary Tale
With disciplined planning, collaborative execution, and relentless post-launch monitoring, enterprise site migrations can become catalysts for growth—not disasters.
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Enterprise Site Migration
Part 4 of Site Infrastructure
Protect rankings when everything changes
10-Phase Process
Plan
Audit
Redirect
Test
Launch
Plan → Audit → Redirect → Test → Launch
Missing redirects can cost you half your organic traffic
URL Mapping
/services/services/seo/services/seo/sydneyOld URL → New URL with 301 redirects
Redirect Strategy
Bulk wildcards lose specificity and link equity
One-to-one mapping preserves every ranking signal
Launch Day
- ✓
Remove staging blockers
- ✓
Deploy all redirects
- ✓
Submit sitemaps to GSC
- ✓
Monitor for 4XX/5XX
Less than 5% organic session drop within 30 days
Plan Your Migration
Don't become a cautionary tale
Building JJM: Site Infrastructure
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