A store migration is the moment when it's easiest to lose traffic built up over years - and easiest to avoid, if you prepare. It isn't magic, just discipline: a redirect map, a preserved structure and monitoring after launch. Here's the checklist we use ourselves when moving stores to the E20 Platform.
Why migrations lose traffic
Search engines know your store by specific addresses. When a migration changes URLs, removes pages or breaks the structure of headings and metadata, Google loses the map - and rankings drop. Lost traffic almost never comes from the "new platform" itself, but from a lack of continuity between the old and new addressing.
Pre-migration checklist
Before you switch anything over, prepare a baseline and a plan:
- A full crawl of the old store - a list of every URL that has traffic or links.
- A snapshot of rankings and traffic - so you have something to compare against after migration.
- A metadata inventory - titles, descriptions, headings and structured data to carry over.
- A URL structure plan - ideally 1:1 with the old one; every change requires a redirect.
The 301 redirect map - the heart of the migration
A 301 redirect tells the search engine: "this page has moved here permanently" - and passes on most of its SEO value. Every old URL must have a destination; nothing can end in a 404 error.
One old URL → one relevant new URL (not everything bulk-redirected to the homepage). We test the redirects on a staging environment before launch and again on production straight after the switch.
After migration: monitoring
Migration doesn't end on switchover day. Over the following weeks you keep an eye on whether 404 errors are rising, whether Google is indexing the new addresses and whether traffic is returning to its pre-change level.
- Submit the new sitemap and monitor indexing.
- Track error reports - eliminate 404s and redirect chains as they appear.
- Compare traffic and rankings against the pre-migration snapshot for 4-6 weeks.
FAQ
Is a drop in traffic after migration normal?
Short, minor fluctuations can be natural while Google re-indexes the site. A sustained drop is a sign of an error - most often missing or incorrect redirects.
Can I redirect everything to the homepage?
No - that destroys the SEO value of individual pages. Every significant URL should land on its closest equivalent.
How long does recovery take?
With a correctly executed migration, traffic usually stabilises within 4-6 weeks; with large catalogues, a little longer.