0
Checklist sections
Pre-launch through post-launch benchmarks
Full migration workflow
Source: Silverback Checklist, 2026
Migration checklist
Website Migration SEO Checklist
Protect rankings, traffic, and conversions through a redesign or platform migration. This interactive 2026 checklist covers 89 items across pre-launch discovery, staging QA, redirects, content parity, launch-day execution, and 60-day post-launch monitoring — with progress you can track as you go.
How to Use This Migration Checklist Pre-launch, launch, and post-launch SEO governance
Use this as a project governance document, not just a launch-day QA list.
Assign owners and due dates for each section before design and development begin.
Treat URL preservation, content parity, internal linking, redirects, analytics, and indexation controls as critical path items.
Complete pre-launch validation on staging, complete launch-day QA immediately after go-live, then monitor daily during the first week and weekly for the next 30 to 60 days.
Collaboration notesThe design team should share wireframes, templates, navigation plans, and URL changes early enough for SEO review before development is final. Silverback should review page templates, content parity, metadata, redirects, schema, analytics, and launch QA before final approval. The client should identify business-critical pages and conversion paths that must be protected even if they are not the highest organic traffic drivers. The development team should confirm how redirects, canonicals, robots directives, XML sitemaps, schema, forms, and tracking will be managed in the new environment.
Pre-Launch Phase
1–8: Discovery, staging, URL mapping, content parity, architecture, technical SEO, schema, analytics
Launch Phase
9–10: Pre-launch signoff and launch-day execution checklist
Post-Launch Phase
11–12: Monitoring for 60 days and capturing baseline benchmarks
Discovery and Redesign Risk Assessment Pre-Launch Phase
Section progress0/7
Staging and Crawl Control Pre-Launch Phase
Important noteImportant Note: The preferred method is password protection for staging. Do not rely on both robots.txt disallow and noindex as a default strategy, because blocking crawlers can prevent search engines from seeing a noindex directive.
Section progress0/5
URL Inventory and 301 Redirect Strategy Pre-Launch Phase
Section progress0/8
Content Parity and On-Page Optimization Pre-Launch Phase
Section progress0/7
Site Architecture and Internal Linking Pre-Launch Phase
Section progress0/7
Technical SEO and Rendering QA Pre-Launch Phase
Section progress0/9
Structured Data, Entity Signals, and GEO/AI Visibility Pre-Launch Phase
Section progress0/7
Analytics, CRM, Consent, and Conversion Tracking Pre-Launch Phase
Section progress0/7
Pre-Launch Signoff Checklist Launch Phase
Section progress0/8
Launch-Day Checklist Launch Phase
Section progress0/9
Post-Launch Monitoring: First 60 Days Post-Launch Phase
Section progress0/8
Priority QA Exports and Benchmarks Post-Launch Phase
Section progress0/7
Launch Severity Levels Classify issues and set response timelines
Critical
Examples
Production noindex, blocked robots.txt, broken sitewide canonicals, missing analytics, major redirect failure, forms not working.
Recommended response
Fix immediately before or during launch window.
High
Examples
Priority pages losing content, high-value URLs 404ing, schema broken across key templates, major CWV regression, tracking partially broken.
Recommended response
Fix within 24 to 72 hours.
Medium
Examples
Metadata gaps, minor redirect chains, missing image alt text, internal link opportunities, isolated schema warnings.
Recommended response
Fix during first two post-launch weeks.
Low
Examples
Cosmetic SEO refinements, secondary copy updates, minor accessibility improvements, documentation cleanup.
Recommended response
Backlog after critical monitoring period.
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Website Migration SEO
Silverback runs this checklist end to end — URL mapping, redirect QA, content parity, tracking validation, and post-launch monitoring.
View migration SEORequest a Migration Audit
Get a pre-launch risk assessment, redirect map review, and launch-day QA plan before you go live.
Request an auditTechnical SEO Priority Matrix
Pair this checklist with developer-ready P1–P4 fixes for crawl, CWV, schema, and rendering issues.
View priority matrixSEO & GEO Audit Interactive Checklist
Run a full SEO and GEO baseline audit before or after migration to protect rankings and AI visibility.
View audit interactive checklistYour migration snapshot
Export yourscore and items.
Work through the checklist above, then download a markdown or branded PDF report with your score, grade, and item-by-item status to share with your team.
- 01Discovery and Redesign Risk Assessment
- 02Staging and Crawl Control
- 03URL Inventory and 301 Redirect Strategy
- 04Content Parity and On-Page Optimization
- 05Site Architecture and Internal Linking
- 06Technical SEO and Rendering QA
- 07Structured Data, Entity Signals, and GEO/AI Visibility
- 08Analytics, CRM, Consent, and Conversion Tracking
- 09Pre-Launch Signoff Checklist
- 10Launch-Day Checklist
- 11Post-Launch Monitoring: First 60 Days
- 12Priority QA Exports and Benchmarks
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