With most online business owners and service platforms, there comes a point where we decide that our current site is not serving our audience in the way that we want. This could be due to a lack of features, limited design options, backend management, or any other aspect that could affect their – or your – experience. So, we switch our site platforms. The question is, how do we switch website platforms without losing SEO?

If you’re approaching a rebrand or redesign, there’s a good chance that your website is established in some way, shape, or form, be that 5 ranking keywords or 500 – and you don’t want to lose your place. Your placement in search engines can be what makes or breaks your business in the long run, and there’s no need to end up hurting your SEO when you’re trying to improve your business. Which leads to the question, CAN you switch website platforms without losing SEO? And yes, you can.

Can You Switch Website Providers Without Losing SEO?

First, let’s clarify website platform and website host. While these two are sometimes the same, that’s not always the case. For example, you can switch hosting on your WordPress website with little to no affect on your SEO – but, if you’re swapping from WordPress to Showit, you’re changing your host and your site design which can affect your SEO. 

To successfully switch website platforms without losing or affecting your current SEO and search engine rankings, you need to pay attention to the little things when moving your website over:

• Structure
• Performance & Speed
• Mobility
• Links & URLs

All play key – although smaller – roles in how your website performs online. If one of the above is severely off or malfunctioning, there’s a high chance of your website losing its spot in search. 

How to Switch Website Platforms Without Losing Your SEO

Ensure that your website is functioning and performing properly. As simple as that statement sounds, depending on the size of your website it can be tricky. If you’re not currently ranking in search engines, simply ensuring that all your existing URLs are still functioning should be enough to switch platforms without losing your SEO. If you’re currently getting organic traffic through Google search, you may need to do a bit more work.

When swapping website platforms, you’ll need to make sure your site loading speed is either the same or quicker than on your previous platform. Similarly, your site mobility should be as easy to navigate and use as on your previous platform. If you’re willing to dive further into SEO performance, spend time checking the structure of your website – this may include checking your title tags and image descriptions. 

To save time when swapping website platforms, search for SEO friendly website templates or work with a designer that is knowledgeable in SEO. If you need more help getting started with SEO, utilize our free brand visibility checklist.