SEO is often the biggest casualty of a platform migration. Here is how to protect your rankings after moving to Shopify.
301 Redirects
Every old URL must redirect to the most relevant new URL. Not just the homepage — every product, category, and page. Use a redirect mapping tool to manage this at scale.
Submit New Sitemap
Shopify generates a sitemap automatically at /sitemap.xml. Submit it to Google Search Console. Monitor for crawl errors and index status.
Update Meta Data
Check that title tags and meta descriptions transferred correctly. Update any that were lost or truncated. Shopify has character limits that may differ from your old platform.
Monitor 404 Errors
Use Google Search Console to find 404 errors. Fix them with additional redirects. Check weekly for the first month after migration.
Verify Structured Data
Check that product schema, breadcrumb, and organization markup are working. Use Google's Rich Results Test tool. Fix any errors.
Track Rankings
Monitor your keyword rankings before and after migration. Expect a temporary dip (2-4 weeks). If rankings drop significantly and do not recover, investigate technical SEO issues.
Update Internal Links
Update any internal links pointing to old URLs. Check your blog content, navigation, and footer for outdated links.
SEO recovery after migration takes time. Be patient and methodical.