Start with what exists.
Before replacing the website, record the current public URLs, important downloads and the pages linked from campaigns or business profiles. Export the sitemap and review the available search and analytics data.
Back up the WordPress files and database. Record the theme, plugins, forms and customer-facing functions. A static HTML replacement does not automatically recreate a booking database, a customer account area or an order workflow.
Keep useful URLs or map their replacements.
Keep existing page addresses where they still fit the new structure. For pages that move, map each old address to a relevant replacement. Google’s migration guidance recommends permanent server-side redirects for permanently moved pages.
Avoid sending unrelated old pages to the homepage. Some removed content may have no suitable replacement. Review those cases individually rather than treating every URL the same way.
Check the content, not just the theme.
Give every important page a clear title, a useful main heading and content that answers a distinct visitor question. Check the links between service pages, the contact journey and relevant guides.
Review canonical URLs and link to the preferred addresses. Remove unapproved placeholders and unsupported claims. Include these checks in your website redesign scope, not only in a post-launch SEO task.
Check the new site before switching.
Use a staging environment to test navigation, form behaviour, mobile layouts, important redirects and missing-page responses. Keep a rollback plan. Make sure your production release does not accidentally retain a staging noindex setting.
Generate a sitemap with the intended indexable URLs. Submit it in Search Console and use URL Inspection for representative pages after launch. These steps support discovery and diagnosis; they do not guarantee indexing or rankings.
Monitor instead of assuming.
Google notes that search visibility can fluctuate during a move while pages are recrawled and reindexed. Watch indexing reports, crawl errors and enquiries after launch. Check that paid campaigns and business-profile links still lead to the right place.
This checklist is not an audit of your current rankings. Migration work depends on the existing URLs and functions. Agree post-launch support for issues discovered during the transition.
Further reading: Google Search Central: site moves and migrations and the SEO Starter Guide.
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