Identifying Old URLs After a Website Migration

How to carry out a website migration professionally was discussed here on the blog a few months ago. But what if the migration goes wrong and all URLs are changed? This is a nightmare scenario for some SEO experts, who then have the task of cleaning up the mess.

In a very helpful Whiteboard Friday on SEOmoz, Michael King provides tips on how to recover old URLs. User comments add to the list, which will be presented here in a clear format, translated into English, with additional comments.

Why do the old URLs need to be identified at all?

The URLs before the migration are important for several reasons:

• All previous link building efforts strengthen the old URLs.

  • The old URLs are in the search engine index and lead users to error pages - a very unsatisfactory state from both an SEO and usability perspective.

  • The “power” of the old URLs should be transferred to the new URLs, otherwise, you start from scratch with the new URLs.

  • By redirecting the old URLs to the appropriate new URLs, old backlinks can continue to be utilized, and users will be directed to a relevant new page.

What sources can be used to find the old URLs?

Some points are obvious, but especially laypeople often overlook the simplest solutions, which could save a lot of manual work. However, even if there are no backups, there are a multitude of sources available to track down old URLs.

• Server Backup: The simplest way to identify all old URLs.

  • Wayback Machine: Not all domains are found here with historical data, but it's worth a try.

  • XML Sitemap: Sitemaps sometimes still contain the old URLs and can easily be saved from this.

  • Backlink Profile in Backlink Tools: It is recommended to use several backlink tools to find as many URLs as possible. Another advantage: The most linked URLs can be identified to set priorities for further steps.

  • 404 pages in Google or Bing Webmaster Tools: Bing now also offers a free backlink analysis.

  • Historical Google Analytics Data: If there is access to Analytics, the historical page views can help identify old URLs.

  • CMS Changelog and Logfiles: An alternative for more technically savvy website operators, although Google Analytics is probably more convenient.

  • Social Media and Social Bookmarks: URLs with likes and shares or that have been tweeted or bookmarked.

  • “Site:”-search on Google: Usually, the cache still contains the old pages if not too much time has passed between the website migration and the search.

  • Other internal sources and publications: For example, old newsletters, old ranking reports, or company brochures/downloads with links.

What to do with the old URLs now?

Once as many old URLs as possible are identified, the following steps are advisable:

• Check whether all old URLs are truly no longer accessible. (Screaming Frog is an example of a free tool that automatically crawls a list of up to 500 URLs.)

  • Map old URLs to new URLs.

  • Set up redirects to the appropriate new URLs.

  • Possibly contact link partners and point them to the new URLs.

Have your website migration done professionally

If you need assistance with your website migration to ensure that the site is not offline long-term and all relevant SEO aspects are considered, feel free to contact us. Our experts will advise you and carry out the relocation effortlessly and professionally in agreement with you. Get a non-binding individual offer!