Ultimate Guide to Changing Domain Name Without Hurting SEO
Changing a domain name is usually done to rebrand, increase website traffic, or make the new domain name easier to remember. No matter what the reason, it's important to know the steps for changing the domain name without hurting the SEO that has been implemented.
In this article, we'll go over a step-by-step guide for changing domain names without hurting SEO and an explanation of the potential impacts of such changes. So, make sure to read until the end!
Steps for Changing Domain Name Without Hurting SEO
Changing a website domain must be done carefully to ensure a successful transition with minimal risk and no disruption to user experience. Here are the steps you can follow:
1. Purchase a New Domain Name
When you want to do a domain change, you first need to buy a new domain that fits your business or website theme. It's important to do your research before buying to ensure that the domain provider you choose has a credible reputation and offers competitive prices.
2. Move Website Files
Next, to ensure visitors can access the website on the new domain, you need to transfer the website files from the old domain to the new one. Here’s how to change the website domain name using cPanel:
Log into cPanel and select the ‘Domains’ menu.
Click on ‘Create A New Domain’.
Enter the new domain name and check the ‘Share document root’ box. Click ‘Submit’ to complete the process and ensure that content from the old domain can be accessed through the new domain.
3. Update URLs and Site Addresses
The other step in changing the domain name without hurting SEO is to update the site address and URLs in WordPress to reflect the new domain name. Follow these steps:
Log into the WordPress dashboard.
Go to ‘Settings’ and click on ‘General Settings’.
Change the ‘WordPress Address (URL)’ and ‘Site Address (URL)’ to the new domain name, then click ‘Save Changes’ to apply the updates.
4. Renew wp-config.php
To ensure the new URL is applied correctly, update the wp-config.php file with the following steps:
Log into cPanel and select ‘File Manager.’
Navigate to the ‘public_html’ folder.
Find the wp-config.php file, right-click it, and select ‘Edit.’
Add the following code:define('WP_HOME', 'http://newdomainname.com');
define('WP_SITEURL', 'http://newdomainname.com');
- Replace ‘newdomainname.com’ with your new domain name and click ‘Save Changes.’
5. Update URL Structure
The next step to do domain change is updating the URL structure to avoid 404 errors. Here are the steps you can take:
Log in to the WordPress dashboard.
Select ‘Settings’ and click on ‘Permalink Settings’.
Choose the ‘Post Name’ option and click ‘Save Changes’. This will update the URL structure to match your new website domain.
6. Set Up Domain Redirects
The final step in changing domain name without hurting SEO is to set up domain redirects to ensure visitors using the old domain are redirected to the new one. Here are the steps to do it:
Log into cPanel and select the ‘Redirects’ submenu.
Choose the ‘Permanent 301’ type.
Select the old domain you want to redirect and enter the new domain name in the ‘Redirects to’ field.
Click ‘Redirect with or without www.’, then click ‘Add.’
Now, all traffic from the old domain will be successfully redirected to your new domain.
Impacts of Changing a Website Domain
Changing a website domain should be carefully considered because it can affect various aspects of your website, including SEO ranking, traffic, and branding. But, you do not need to worry since you can mitigate it with some suggestions explained below together with the impact:
1. Impact on SEO Rangking
Your SEO ranking can be affected if the domain change is improperly handled. Therefore, setting up a 301 redirect from the old domain to the new one is important. This will help search engines update their indexes and redirect traffic correctly.
2. Decrease in Traffic
During the transition, your site may experience a temporary drop in traffic. To minimize the impact, you should ensure redirects are set up correctly so that returning visitors can still find your site under the new domain.
3. Effect on Branding
Your company's branding can also be affected by changing your domain name. That's why it's important to make sure you're communicating this throughout your marketing, including social media, emails, advertising, etc.
From the explanation above, you know that domain changes can impact a site's ranking and visibility on search engines, so you should be aware of them and make sure they don't hurt your SEO.
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