Map old URLs to relevant replacements before launching a redesigned website.
Collect URLs before rebuilding
A redesign can change navigation, filenames and content at once. Export the current URL list and add important landing pages from your reporting tools. Record which pages generate useful enquiries and which contain information that must remain available. Keep a copy before the development team changes the structure.
Map destinations by purpose
For each retired URL, identify the most relevant replacement. Avoid routing every old article to the homepage. Where a page has genuinely moved, use an appropriate permanent redirect and update internal links to the new destination. If no replacement exists, review the appropriate removal behaviour instead of inventing a misleading match.
Run a launch checklist
Test a representative set of old links and confirm they reach the correct final pages. Check new canonical annotations, sitemap URLs and indexing controls. Make sure any staging restrictions have been reviewed before launch. Separately test phone links, mobile navigation and enquiry forms because search traffic has little value if customers cannot contact you.
Monitor the transition
Keep the URL map and launch date in the project record. Review indexing reports, errors and important landing pages after release. Search visibility can fluctuate during a move; investigate specific failures rather than promising an instant recovery. Assign an owner to redirect maintenance so later edits do not undo the migration work.
Need help applying this to your website? Explore our SEO Services and Website Maintenance, or discuss your requirements with our team.
Reference: Google documentation: Website Migration.