Keeping Your SEO Strong When You Switch Platforms or Rebrand

If you’re moving your website from another platform (like WordPress, Wix, Kajabi, etc.) to ShinePages, but keeping your current domain name (e.g., www.yourbusiness.com), this guide is for you.

Why This Matters

Google and other search engines index your website by URLs. If your domain stays the same but your pages are renamed or moved without proper redirection, your existing rankings could drop.

Step-by-Step: 

1. Take Inventory of Your Current Website

• Make a list of all the key Pages and Page URLs on your current site (especially high-traffic pages like your homepage, services, blog posts, product pages, etc.). 

• Page URLs will look like: yourbusiness.com/home, yourbusiness.com/work-with-me, yourbusiness.com/blog/title-of-blog-post, yourbusinessname.com/store/name-of-product-1, etc. (however you or your site designer had originally set them up) 




• You can copy/paste a list of pages from your current navigation and/or sitemap or use tools like Screaming Frog SEO Spider to scrape your site for a list of all pages.  

2. Recreate or Redirect Key Pages

• In ShinePages, build out your new pages with the same page names and page URLs wherever possible.

  • Example: If your current site's "About page" has a page URL of www.yourbusiness.com/about, your new ShinePages "About page" should also be www.yourbusiness.com/about. (and NOT www.yourbusiness.com/about-us or similar)

• If you change any URLs, make sure to set up URL redirects (or 301 redirects) in ShinePages to tell Google where the new version lives.

  • ShinePages allows you to add redirects via your Site Settings → URL Redirects. 301 URL Redirect Steps

3. Set up your On-Page SEO including:

• Page Title
• Meta Description
• Social Sharing Image
• Check that "Add to Sitemap" option has been checked. 
• See Page SEO article

4. Connect Your Domain Properly

• When ready to launch, follow ShinePages’ domain connection steps.

• Keep your domain’s existing DNS records/settings handy, especially if you’re using custom email or subdomains.

5. Check for Broken Links

• After launch, test all links on your site using tools like Broken Link Checker.

6. Re-Submit Your Sitemap to Google

• Add your new ShinePages sitemap to Google Search Console.

• This tells Google to crawl your updated site faster.

7. Monitor Your Rankings & Traffic

• Set up Google Analytics and Search Console to monitor performance after the switch.

• Expect a short dip in rankings, but with proper redirects and structure, your traffic should recover quickly.

Bonus: Visibility Tips

• Post on social media about your beautiful new site!

• Email your list to let them know you’ve upgraded your website (and share the link).

• Ask referral partners or directories to double-check they’re linking to your homepage.

If you’re changing your business name, getting a new domain (like from www.oldname.com to www.newname.com), and ALSO making a switch from a different platform to ShinePages at the same time, follow this tutorial.

Why This Matters

Search engines have been indexing your old domain. Switching both your domain and platform means you’re starting fresh in Google’s eyes—unless you guide them properly.

Step-by-Step:

1. Map Your Old Site to Your New One

• Create a list of old URLs and decide where each one will point on your new ShinePages site.

  • Example: www.oldname.com/about → www.newname.com/about

2. Forward Old Domain to New Domain in your Domain Registrar

• The best way to preserve SEO value is to set up "Forwarding" from your old domain to your new one.

  • Your old domain’s DNS host (Namecheap, GoDaddy, Google Domains, etc.) must allow redirection or forwarding.

  • If you're unsure, contact your old host for help

  • See this article on Forwarding / Redirecting

3. Build with SEO Best Practices in Mind

• Use the same (or better!) content on your new site.

• Keep meta titles and descriptions similar to avoid confusing Google.

• Set up your On-Page SEO including:

  • Page Title
  • Meta Description
  • Social Sharing Image
  • Check that "Add to Sitemap" option has been checked.
  • See Page SEO article

4. Connect Your New Domain to ShinePages

• Once your new ShinePages site is ready, connect your new domain using our domain setup tutorial. domain connection steps.

5. If you had previously submitting a Sitemap - Re-submit it again.

• Add the new domain to Google Search Console.

• Also, add both your old and new domains as "properties" in Search Console so you can monitor both.

6. Let Google Know About the Move

• In Google Search Console, use the “Change of Address” tool to officially inform them you’ve moved domains.

7. Update Your Online Presence

• Update your domain across your:

  • Email signature

  • Social media bios

  • Google Business Profile

  • Pinterest/Instagram profile links

  • Directory listings (Yelp, LinkedIn, etc.)

  • Podcast links, guest posts, or backlinks

8. Communicate the Rebrand

• Announce your rebrand via email and social.

• Make it a celebration! Explain what’s new and invite people to visit your new site.

If you’re currently using ShinePages but doing a rebrand and switching from one domain to another, this is your guide.

Why This Matters

Even though your site content and structure may stay similar, changing your domain without redirection can result in a drop in traffic and broken links to your original site.

Step-by-Step:

1. Prepare Your New Domain

• Purchase and verify your new domain name.

• Decide on a launch day so you can switch things smoothly.

2. Connect Your New Domain in ShinePages

• Go to Site Settings → Domain Settings and follow instructions to connect your new domain. domain connection steps.

• Leave the old domain connected for now so you can redirect it.

3. Forward Old Domain to New Domain in your Domain Registrar

• The best way to preserve SEO value is to set up "Forwarding" from your old domain to your new one.

  • Your old domain’s DNS host (Namecheap, GoDaddy, Google Domains, etc.) must allow redirection or forwarding.

  • If you're unsure, contact your old host for help.

  • See this article on Forwarding / Redirecting

4. If you had previously submitted your Sitemap to Google - Re-submit it

• Add your new domain to Google Search Console.

• Submit your sitemap again from the new domain.

• Use the “Change of Address” tool to notify Google of the domain change.

5. Update All Online Mentions

• Check where your old domain is listed online and start updating:

  • Google Business Profile

  • Directories and memberships

  • Social bios

  • Email footers

  • Media mentions, podcast links, etc.

6. Let Your Audience Know

• Send a warm message to your email list and social followers:

  “We’ve got a fresh new look and name—and a shiny new domain to match! Come visit us at [newdomain.com]!”

  
  

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Final Tips for All 3 Scenarios ✅ Best Practices:

• Keep your URLs short and readable

• Add keywords naturally to headings, page titles, and descriptions

• Use alt text on all images

• Ensure mobile responsiveness

• Load speed matters—optimize images and avoid unnecessary animations

📈 Don’t Forget:

• SEO isn't just about Google—make sure humans love your site too

• Share your new site multiple times, not just once!

• Track your analytics weekly for the first month after switching