{"id":1211,"date":"2019-07-15T12:12:00","date_gmt":"2019-07-15T12:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nethues.com\/blog\/?p=1211"},"modified":"2023-08-09T09:48:49","modified_gmt":"2023-08-09T09:48:49","slug":"magento-2-migration-the-seo-checklist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nethues.com\/blog\/magento-2-migration-the-seo-checklist\/","title":{"rendered":"Magento 2 Migration: The SEO Checklist – A Comprehensive Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to digital commerce, the competitive stakes are skyrocketing. Whether it\u2019s B2B or B2C, buyers are huge with huge expectations regarding a seamless, compelling digital-first shopping experience. All this calls for an eCommerce platform that has the capability to exceed users\u2019 expectations and bring growth to the concerned brand.<\/p>\n

Which brings us to Magento, rather Magento 2.<\/i><\/b><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The web has long been talking about Magento 1 support being ending in June 2020<\/strong>. Whether you\u2019re considering to build a new store on Magento 2\u00a0or migrating from Magento 1 to Magento 2<\/a>, there are (more than) a few things to consider in order to keep customers, traffic and most importantly\u00a0revenue in place.<\/p>\n

Yes, we do agree that migration to Magento 2 isn\u2019t a cakewalk but the change is inevitable. To help you with a smooth transition, the one which keeps SEO intact, we have prepared a refined.<\/p>\n

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Must Read: Top 10 Magento 2 Migration Mistakes You Should Strictly Avoid<\/a><\/p>\n

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<\/span>The SEO Checklist for Magento 2 Migration<\/b><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

<\/span>Define <\/b><\/strong>Your M<\/b><\/strong>igration <\/b><\/strong>S<\/b><\/strong>cope<\/b><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

The first and foremost thing to do when moving to a different platform is to define the migration scope. It can be daunting and time-consuming at first, but it\u2019s necessary to avoid last-minute problems.<\/p>\n

So start with analyzing the data to know if any improvements are required. Jump onto noting down the\u00a0existing extensions and third-party integrations\u00a0to check for any replacements. Make sure the extensions are tested for compatibility.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t miss out on checking the customizations\u00a0made on your store to get an estimate on the time-frame of migration\u00a0and be prepared for further online store optimization.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Know the C<\/b><\/strong>urrent <\/b><\/strong>S<\/b><\/strong>tate of <\/b><\/strong>Y<\/b><\/strong>our <\/b><\/strong>S<\/b><\/strong>ite<\/b><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s important to analyze your performance with the help of Google Analytics, Google Search Console or a crawling tool. Prepare a report with all the URLs and their data including meta robots, canonical tags, revenue, or conversion rates. This, in turn, will help in making informed and quick decisions when the time comes.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Pay Attention to Catalog Data<\/b><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Next comes the need to ensure the quality of your catalog data. In case your store doesn\u2019t have the necessary data (like products, categories or attributes), you might experience a huge loss, especially in terms of SEM.<\/p>\n

Review the\u00a0category & CMS pages\u00a0descriptions, meta titles\u00a0and meta descriptions. You\u2019d want to cover everything to keep your rankings as they were prior to the launch.<\/p>\n

Make sure all the\u00a0products, along with their images, descriptions or meta data are properly migrated. A lot of stores experience loss of data during migration, remember to double check or triple-check.<\/p>\n

In case your catalog is massive, you can\u2019t check for each and every product. What next? Don\u2019t worry, we have the right trick for you. Configure the Google Shopping feed and set filters, for example, exclude shipping weight. Now, if the number of products is the same in Google Shopping Feed as the stock products in your catalog, you can be relaxed.<\/p>\n

Remember, quality category and product data have a great impact on your organic results and PPC, so\u00a0invest as much time needed.<\/p>\n\r\n

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Upgrade to Magento 2 and unlock new possibilities today<\/div>\r\n
\r\n\t\tStart your migration now!<\/a><\/a>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n
<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\t\r\n\t\r\n\n

<\/span>Define Your Indexing Strategy<\/b><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

One of the most complex tasks you need to perform is to define your indexing strategy.<\/p>\n

If you have a huge site with diverse filter options, you should\u00a0be careful with the faceted (layered navigation)\u00a0because you\u2019ll probably want to exclude the majority from indexing. In certain cases, it\u2019s better to completely block the crawlers with \u201cnoindex, nofollow\u201d directive.<\/p>\n

Further, you\u2019d\u00a0certainly want to\u00a0exclude search result pages from indexing. The reason: there can be a number of these and you don\u2019t want to waste your crawl budget.<\/p>\n

<\/span>XML Sitemap<\/b><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Yes, sitemap. It\u2019s crucial to review your sitemap to remove or add pages according to the requirements.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Structured Data Markup Implementation<\/b><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

We can\u2019t stress enough how important it is to implement a micro-data markup on an eCommerce site. A well-implemented structured data markup not only helps Google in understanding your content but brings rich snippets and CTR.<\/p>\n

Magento 2 comes with product structured data, but to get all the micro-data in place, you will have to perform additional customizations. Remember not to make a room for scams since Google hates scammers and punishes them.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Don\u2019t Miss Out on 301 Redirects<\/b><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

One of the common reasons behind improper migrations is poor implementation of 301 redirects. To avoid such losses, you need to pay severe attention to broken URLs.<\/p>\n

Help yourself with a crawl report on your staging site\u00a0and compare the reports (made in step 2) for improvements. Don\u2019t forget about the existing redirects because these have to be redirected to the new URLs.<\/p>\n

You can import these through\u00a0Magento Admin\u00a0or through a\u00a0.htaccess file, but remember too many redirects in .htaccess can have a serious impact on TTFB (Time to first byte).\u00a0So balance and shoot!<\/p>\n

<\/span>Testing is the Key<\/b><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Before you launch your new website, test, test and test. Quality analysis or is extremely important to a site\u2019s speed, performance and ultimately success.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Post-launch Tasks<\/b><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Your work isn\u2019t just limited to launching a Magento 2 store. There are still a few things to do on the SEO side.<\/p>\n