Why this matters for an insurance agent
For the agent, this protects the leads they already get. If they came to us with a site that already ranks and pulls calls, a careless rebuild could zero out years of rankings and reviews overnight. Done right, they get a better, faster site and keep every lead source they had, so the upgrade only adds, never subtracts.
Inherit, do not reset
An established site carries accumulated value: rankings, domain authority, a Google Business Profile, reviews, citations, and backlinks. A rebuild is a moment of danger, because it is easy to accidentally throw that value away. Treat every existing asset as something to preserve and carry forward.
The worst migration outcome is a beautiful new site that ranks worse than the old ugly one. That happens when we lose URLs, drop content, or break the trust signals. We prevent it deliberately.
Every takeover, no exceptions
301-redirect every old URL
Map each old URL to its new equivalent with a permanent 301 redirect. This passes the old page's authority to the new one and prevents dead links. No old URL should be lost or return a 404.
Keep the same domain
The authority lives in the domain. Never start fresh on a new one unless there is an extraordinary reason. The domain is the asset.
Do not drop ranking pages or thin the content
Pages that already rank must survive the move, at equal or greater depth. Never strip existing content thinner in a redesign.
Preserve and upgrade schema and NAP
Carry the structured data and NAP across, keeping them byte-consistent with the Google Business Profile and citations. Improve, do not break.
Resubmit the sitemap, keep robots open
Submit the new sitemap in Search Console and confirm robots still allows crawling. Watch for the staging noindex trap at launch.
One host, one canonical
Prefer a host-canonical 301 so only one hostname serves a live 200: apex to www, or www to apex, whichever is canonical. Serving the same site on two hosts splits signals and confuses Google. Pick one and redirect the other.
* Key takeaways
- A migration's goal is to inherit the existing site's trust, not reset it. Every asset is something to preserve.
- 301-redirect every old URL to its new equivalent so no URL or authority is lost.
- Keep the same domain. The authority lives there.
- Do not drop pages that already rank or make existing content thinner.
- Preserve and upgrade schema and NAP, keeping them consistent with GBP and citations.
- Resubmit the new sitemap, keep robots open (watch the staging noindex trap), and canonicalize to one host.
Module 9 quiz
Score 75% or higher to complete this module and unlock the next one.
5 questions
Not completed-
What is the entire goal of migrating an existing, ranking site?
Why: A rebuild aims to carry forward accumulated rankings, authority, reviews, and links, not reset them.
-
What must happen to every old URL during a takeover?
Why: Every old URL gets a permanent 301 to its new equivalent, passing authority and avoiding dead links.
-
Should a migration move the site to a brand-new domain?
Why: Domain authority is the asset. Keep the same domain except in extraordinary cases.
-
Which is a migration non-negotiable?
Why: Schema and NAP must be preserved and kept byte-consistent with GBP and citations, not broken in the rebuild.
-
Why canonicalize to a single host (apex or www)?
Why: One host serving 200 with the other 301-redirected keeps ranking signals consolidated instead of split.