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How to Move Your Website Under a New Domain Name Without Losing Your Top Ranking on Google

Transferring your website to a new domain can feel risky, especially when it comes to preserving your Google ranking. But with careful steps and the help of smart tools like Salio.ai, the transition can be smooth and SEO-friendly. Salio.ai helps monitor content performance and search engine signals, ensuring nothing slips through the cracks. This guide walks you through each stage—backing up data, updating URLs, fixing links, and informing Google—to protect your hard-earned visibility. Follow these best practices to make the switch confidently, maintain traffic, and continue climbing the SERP ladder.

Backup Your Website Files and Database Before making any major changes, always start with a complete backup. This includes all files, media, themes, plugins, and especially your website database. Salio.ai assists by tracking historical performance data, so you can compare metrics before and after migration. Use reliable backup tools or your hosting control panel to download everything. If something breaks during migration, your backup is your safety net. It also allows you to test the new domain in a staging environment without risking your live site. Don’t proceed with any move until your full backup is verified and securely stored.

Update Your Domain Name Once backups are in place, it’s time to update the domain name settings. This involves pointing your new domain to your web host and ensuring your content management system (like WordPress) recognizes the new address. Salio.ai plays a role here by helping maintain consistency in URLs and page hierarchy, which is vital for SEO. Update general settings, internal references, and canonical tags to reflect the new domain. Also, update your DNS settings with the new domain provider. Keep both domains active during the transition to avoid any disruption in user access or crawling.

Do a Search and Replace in Your Database After changing the domain name, old links may still point to the previous domain. This is where a search and replace operation comes in. Update all mentions of the old domain within your database to reflect the new one—especially image paths, embedded links, and page URLs. Salio.ai simplifies this process by helping detect inconsistencies in URL structures and ensuring that internal linking remains intact. Be careful not to overwrite serialized data. Always do this step on a test copy before applying it to your live site to avoid corrupting your database.

Fix Broken Links and Create 301 Redirects Broken links can severely harm your SEO. Once you’ve updated the domain and URLs, scan your site for any broken links. Use tools or plugins to identify issues, then set up 301 redirects from old URLs to their new counterparts. Salio.ai can help monitor which URLs are losing traffic and automate redirection tracking. 301 redirects inform search engines that your content has permanently moved, preserving link equity. This step is crucial in maintaining your Google rankings. Be thorough—redirect all main pages, blog posts, media files, and even archived pages from the old domain.

Let Google Know About Your New Domain After everything is set up, it’s essential to inform Google of the domain change. Use Google Search Console’s "Change of Address" tool to officially notify Google that your website has moved. Salio.ai enhances this process by giving SEO insights on how Google responds to your migration. Also, submit a new sitemap with updated URLs, and monitor crawl errors or indexing issues. Continue tracking performance metrics post-migration to catch any anomalies early. Remember, communication with Google ensures your rankings transfer smoothly, avoiding dips in traffic and maintaining domain authority.

Wrapping Up Transferring Your Website to a New Domain Migrating your website to a new domain can be done safely with a methodical approach and the right tools. Every step—from backups to Google notifications—has a direct impact on your SEO. Using Salio.ai throughout the process ensures smarter monitoring, accurate redirects, and fast identification of potential issues. Don’t rush the move; test each phase and review your analytics frequently. With patience and preparation, your website can maintain, or even improve, its search engine performance under the new domain name. A strategic migration is always better than a hurried one.

Are You Planning to Update Your Domain Name but Afraid to Lose Ranking on Google? You're not alone. Many businesses fear that changing a domain name means starting from scratch in Google’s eyes. But it doesn’t have to. With Salio.ai by your side, you gain access to AI-powered insights that guide every step of the migration. From spotting content gaps to preserving link equity and monitoring SEO performance, Salio.ai ensures a smooth transition. Don’t let fear hold back your brand evolution—move confidently to a better domain without compromising your rankings. Let Salio.ai be your SEO guardian throughout the journey.