How to Change Your Domain Without Losing Google Rankings: A Step-by-Step Checklist

TL;DR: Redirect every old page to its matching new page with a permanent (301) redirect, keep both domains verified in Google Search Console, file a Change of Address, update every internal link and sitemap, and keep the redirects running for at least a year. Skip any one of those and rankings can reset instead of moving across.

A rebrand, a better name, a product outgrowing a subdomain. There are good reasons to change domain. Done carelessly, it can wipe out years of search traffic overnight.

We moved Total Football Studio, our own product, from a subdomain to its own domain, totalfootballstudio.com. Google accepted the Change of Address the same day. Here is the checklist we used.

//Before the move

1. Make a list of every URL

Export every page from your sitemap and from Search Console's pages report. This list is your redirect map. Anything missing from it will break.

2. Keep the same paths if you can

The simplest migration is one where only the domain changes and every path stays the same. Then one rule redirects everything correctly. Change the domain and the structure at the same time only if you must.

3. Set up the new domain in Search Console

Add and verify the new domain before you switch anything. Keep the old one verified too. Google needs both to process the move.

//On the day

4. Redirect page to page, permanently

Every old URL should send a 301 (permanent) redirect to its exact equivalent on the new domain. Not to the homepage. Redirecting everything to the homepage tells Google the old pages are gone.

5. File the Change of Address

In Search Console, on the old property, use the Change of Address tool and pick the new domain. Google checks that your redirects work before accepting it.

6. Update everything that points at the old domain

• Canonical tags on every page
• Internal links in your content and navigation
• Your XML sitemap, and submit it in the new property
• Structured data, Open Graph tags and your robots.txt sitemap line
• Social profiles, email signatures, your app store listings and ad accounts

7. Do not forget the special files

If a verification file or other special page has to stay reachable on the old domain, add an exception so it is served instead of redirected. We kept the old domain's verification working on purpose, because Google re-checks it during the move.

//After the move

8. Keep the redirects for a long time

Google recommends keeping redirects for at least 180 days. We plan to keep ours permanently. Old links on other websites will keep sending visitors, and the redirect is what passes their value to the new domain.

9. Watch both properties

For the following weeks, watch indexing in the new property rise as the old one falls. Check for crawl errors and fix any URL that returns a 404.

10. Ask for your best backlinks to be updated

Redirects pass most of a link's value, but a direct link is better. Contact the sites that send you the most traffic and ask them to update the address.

//The checklist in one table

//Frequently asked questions

Will I lose SEO when I change my domain?

There is often a short wobble while Google processes the move. With page-to-page 301 redirects and a Change of Address, rankings generally carry over to the new domain.

How long should I keep 301 redirects after a domain change?

At least 180 days, and ideally permanently. Removing them early cuts off the value of every old link.

Should I redirect old pages to the homepage?

No. Redirect each page to its matching new page. Sending everything to the homepage is treated like the pages were deleted.

Can I change domain and redesign at the same time?

You can, but it makes problems harder to trace. If possible, move the domain first and redesign later.

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See the full story in the website, SEO and domain move case study. Planning a move or a rebrand? Talk to us first.