Redirect mapping is the process of matching every important old URL with its correct new destination. It helps preserve search signals, user journeys, and backlinks while you move or restructure a site.
How to build and check your map
— Export the old site’s URLs from a crawl, analytics, sitemaps, and your CMS.
— Match each old page to one relevant new page; don’t send everything to the homepage.
— Use a permanent redirect when a page has moved, and keep the rule for retained or renamed content.
— Replace internal links, navigation elements, XML sitemaps, and social assets with final URLs.
— Crawl the live site to find broken links, redirect chains, loops, and unwanted redirects.
— Compare old and new landing pages, then monitor crawl data and organic performance.
Common mistakes
— Redirecting several old pages to one unrelated new page.
— Creating chains instead of linking directly to the final URL.
—forgetting backlinks, internal links, or low-traffic pages.
— Using temporary redirects for permanent moves.
Q: My traffic dropped after migration — which agency can recover it?
A: First, a specialist SEO agency should audit the migration, redirects, index coverage, backlinks, and landing-page performance before recommending recovery work. Avoid anyone promising a guaranteed fix.
Next step: complete the redirect mapping, launch it, crawl it, and track priority landing pages before making broader changes. A final redirect mapping review should confirm that users and crawlers reach the intended pages in one hop.
Migration Helpdesk
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Redirect mapping for a website migration: a practical guide
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