Website migration: Google's recommendations for a smooth transition

In this episode of Ask Googlebot, Google's John Mueller answers a question that worries many small business owners. It is not uncommon for companies to work on a new website while continuing to use the old one. Mueller was asked whether the old site should be removed when the new one goes live.

According to Mueller, it's important to remove or update an outdated website because leaving conflicting information online can confuse users and hurt SEO. Inconsistent data, such as changed hours or addresses on both sites, can annoy customers and make it difficult for search engines to index and rank your pages.

To ensure the best user experience and SEO performance, it is important to ensure that the old site is no longer publicly visible or is updated to reflect current information. 🚀

• 📌 Ideal if you redirect the old website to the new one, Mueller noted. Not only does this help users find the right website, but it also helps search engines pass any existing signals to the new domain, potentially improving its rankings.
• 📌 Mueller recommends contacting your web developer or hosting provider to get the redirect set up correctly. He advises leaving redirects for at least one year to ensure a smooth transition for users and search engines.