Are you an eCommerce business looking to transition away from your Magento Go platform? Making the move is smart – Magento Go is no longer supported, meaning no more updates, no more security patches, and no more customer support. But it's a big decision, and one that can have a major impact on your business's online presence, especially when it comes to SEO.
There's no one-size-fits-all when it comes to migrating off Magento Go, but there are a few key steps every business can take to keep its earned SEO value while transitioning away from Magento Go.
First, understanding your website's current SEO performance is essential. Gauge your website performance using a site analytics tool to track key metrics such as average page load times, page break down by visited page, and other indicators. Identify any opportunities or weaknesses your current site may have by doing a site audit and tracking metrics over time.
Second, set a goal for the site's SEO performance when transitioning away from Magento Go. When selecting a new platform for your site, ensure it supports a breadth of SEO features and functions. Your new eCommerce platform should provide customizable page titles, meta descriptions, sitemaps, and rich snippets – among other essential SEO features.
Third, it's important to note that SEO doesn't stop at the platform level. Your SEO value needs to be taken into consideration throughout the whole migration process. Log all URLs and their corresponding redirects, update internal links to the new URLs, and track any broken links to ensure everything still works. Don't forget to track keyword rankings to ensure positions are not adversely affected when your new site goes live.
Finally, once your Magento Go site has been migrated, you should re-run the site audit to review the updated key metrics. Make sure the new platform supports your desired SEO performance and that the results show similar performance metrics as before. Doing a competitor analysis can also be beneficial in understanding your standings relative to competition in the same market.
When it comes to migrating from Magento Go, understanding the impact on your website's SEO value is essential. Following the steps outlined above ensure that your business is taking all of the necessary steps to carry SEO value over to its new eCommerce platform.