Website & CMS Migration Readiness Checklist

Crawl the old site first, keep URLs the same where possible, and 301 redirect every old URL that has value to its closest new equivalent. Carry over titles, meta descriptions, headings, canonicals and structured data, then compare a fresh crawl and Search Console data against your baseline after launch.

Some movement is normal in the weeks after launch, but large or lasting drops usually trace back to missing redirects, changed content or blocked pages. Careful URL mapping, pre-launch testing and fast fixes for 404s and redirect chains keep the risk low.

Google advises keeping redirects in place for at least a year. In practice, keep them as long as the old URLs still receive traffic or backlinks, and ideally indefinitely for important pages.

XM Cloud is a headless SaaS platform, so the front end is rebuilt rather than lifted across. Content is delivered through Experience Edge, and xDB-based personalization and analytics need to be redesigned. Plan the SEO, content model and personalization work early.