Changing your domain name does not have to tank your search rankings, but it needs to be done properly. The essentials: plan thoroughly, set up 301 redirects for every page, use Google Search Console’s Change of Address tool, and update all your external listings. Expect short-term traffic dips, but most sites recover within 6 to months when best practices are followed. Skip steps or rush it, and you risk losing years of SEO work.
Why Businesses Change Domain Names
There are plenty of good reasons to change your domain name:
Rebranding
Your business has evolved, and the old name no longer fits. Maybe you have expanded your services, merged with another company, or simply outgrown a name you chose years ago.
Better domain availability
You started with a compromise domain because the one you wanted was taken. Now you have the chance to secure something cleaner.
Simplifying a confusing URL
If customers struggle to spell or remember your web address, that is costing you business.
Moving away from a location-specific name
A business that started as “Middlewich Plumbing” might now serve all of Cheshire and need a name that reflects that.
Whatever your reason, the principle is the same. If you have built up any SEO value on your current domain, you need to transfer that value to the new one. Otherwise, you are starting from scratch.
The Real SEO Risks
Let us be honest about what is at stake.
Your domain carries weight. Over time, Google has associated your web address with certain topics, built trust based on your content and backlinks, and indexed all your pages. When you change domains, you are telling Google: “Everything you knew about us? It is now somewhere else.”
Get it wrong, and here is what happens:
Lost backlinks
Other websites link to your old domain. Those links pass authority to your site. Without proper redirects, that authority vanishes.
Broken links everywhere
Internal links, external links, bookmarks. All pointing to URLs that no longer exist.
Duplicate content chaos
If both domains stay live without proper configuration, Google sees two competing sites with identical content.
Ranking drops
Studies suggest that around 42% of domain migrations do not fully recover their original traffic. The difference between success and failure? Planning and execution.
The Key Steps to Get Right
We are not going to walk you through every technical detail here. Frankly, if you are not comfortable with DNS configurations, 301 redirects, and Google Search Console, this is not a DIY job.
But here is what separates a successful migration from a disaster:
Audit Before You Touch Anything
Know what you have before you move it. Document your current traffic, your top-ranking pages, your most valuable backlinks, and the keywords driving business. This is your baseline.
Check Your New Domain’s History
If you are buying a previously owned domain, check its background. Some domains carry baggage: spammy backlinks, Google penalties, or a dodgy reputation. We use tools like aHrefs to check the backlink profile before committing to any domain purchase.
Redirect Everything Properly
Every old URL needs to point to its equivalent on the new domain. Not to the homepage. To the exact matching page.
www.oldsite.com/services → www.newsite.com/services
This passes the SEO value from the old page to the new one. Miss pages or redirect lazily, and you lose that value forever.
Tell Google What You Have Done
Google Search Console has a Change of Address tool specifically for this. It tells Google to prioritise crawling your new domain and transfer signals from the old one. Skip this step, and you are relying on Google to figure it out for themselves. They will, eventually. But why wait?
Keep Your Old Domain
Do not let it expire. Ever. If someone else buys your old domain, they inherit any remaining backlinks. Keep paying for it, even if it just redirects.
What Most People Forget
The technical migration is only half the job. Here is what catches people out:
Google Business Profile
If you have a physical location, contact Google Support to update your domain and business name. Do it wrong and you risk suspension.
Business directories
Your business is listed in more places than you realise. Yell, Thomson Local, industry directories, Chamber of Commerce. All need updating. It is not just Google that relies on this information now. AI tools pull data from across the web, so consistent NAPU (Name, Address, Phone, URL) matters more than ever.
Social media profiles
Every platform where your old URL appears.
Email signatures
Every email your team sends is still pointing to the old domain.
Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy
Usually full of references to the old company name and URL.
Google Analytics
Your tracking is configured for the old domain. Update the settings or your data will be a mess.
Printed materials and signage
Business cards, van livery, shop fronts. If you have a physical presence, the rebrand extends beyond the website.
It is a long list. Miss items and you end up with inconsistent information across the web, which confuses both customers and search engines.
How Long Does Recovery Take?
The honest answer: it depends.
For small to medium sites with straightforward migrations, expect things to settle within 6 to 12 weeks.
For larger sites with complex structures or significant backlink profiles, full recovery can take 6 to 12 months.
Some short-term fluctuation is normal. If you are still seeing problems after 12 weeks, something has gone wrong and needs investigating.
Real Examples: Domain Changes We Have Managed
We have handled domain migrations for clients and for ourselves.
Nonsuch Park Dental
When this Cheam-based dental practice rebranded from Eastleigh Dental to Nonsuch Park Dental, they needed a full domain migration alongside a website redesign.
We mapped every page, set up comprehensive redirects, submitted the change of address through Google Search Console, and updated their Google Business Profile and directory listings.
Bloom Digital Marketing
We went through this ourselves when we rebranded from Bloom Creative Design to Bloom Digital Marketing.
The rebrand reflected our evolution from a design-focused studio to a full-service digital marketing agency. We followed the same process we use for clients: thorough planning, complete redirect mapping, and careful post-launch monitoring.
The new domain now outperforms the old one, partly because the rebrand came alongside improvements to our site structure and content.
FAQs
Will I definitely lose rankings if I change my domain?
Short-term fluctuations are normal. With proper redirects and a change-of-address submission, most sites recover within a few weeks to a few months. The sites that struggle are usually those that skip steps or rush the process.
How long should I keep my old domain?
Indefinitely, if you can. At a minimum, keep it for several years after the migration. If you let it expire, someone else can buy it and inherit your old backlinks.
Can I change my domain and redesign my site at the same time?
You can, but it adds complexity. When you change multiple things at once, it becomes harder to diagnose problems. If possible, do one then the other. If you must do both together, make sure you have expert support. Get in touch!
What is the difference between a 301 and 302 redirect?
A 301 is permanent. It passes SEO value to the new URL. A 302 is temporary and keeps the old URL indexed. For domain migrations, always use 301 redirects.
Need Help With a Domain Change?
A domain migration is not something to attempt if you are not confident with the technical side. Get it wrong, and you could lose months or years of SEO progress.
If you are considering a rebrand and want to protect your search visibility, we can help. Our website and SEO services include full domain migration support. Book a call to talk through your situation.
