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Methodology

The SEOParity Migration Protocol

How we move a WordPress site to Next.js without losing a single ranking.

Most migration projects fail at the handoff between SEO and engineering. Our protocol removes the handoff. The same team that maps the redirects writes the code. The same engineer who audited the schema verifies it after launch. Four phases. Three weeks on a typical project. Zero tolerance for ranking loss.

  1. 01

    Audit

    72 hours

    Find every risk before anyone writes a line of code.

    • Every URL crawled, status code logged, title and meta captured.
    • Every existing redirect traced, chains flagged, loops killed.
    • Core Web Vitals measured on mobile against Google thresholds.
    • Rich result eligibility checked block by block.
    • Schema coverage audited and compared to current indexation.

    Deliverable

    A risk map. One document showing every page, every redirect, every metadata field, and every schema block that must survive the move.

  2. 02

    Redirect Map

    Before build starts

    Every old URL paired with its Next.js destination.

    • One-to-one mapping for every indexed URL.
    • Pagination handled at the pattern level, not page by page.
    • Query parameters normalized or passed through based on intent.
    • Trailing slash and case sensitivity rules set at the edge.
    • Client signs off on the table before a single redirect ships.

    Deliverable

    A redirect table. Old URL on the left, new URL on the right, status code in the middle. Nothing guessed.

  3. 03

    Build

    2 to 4 weeks

    Next.js app with SEO wired in from day one.

    • Redirects implemented in next.config before the first page is styled.
    • Metadata preserved at the route level using the Next.js Metadata API.
    • Schema parity verified block by block against the existing site.
    • Staging URL gated by password so crawlers cannot index it.
    • Client reviews every page type before launch approval.

    Deliverable

    A staging site that passes redirect verification, metadata parity, and Core Web Vitals against targets.

  4. 04

    Verify

    Pre-launch plus 30 days

    Prove parity, then watch for 30 days.

    • Every ranking URL checked for redirect target, status code, title, meta, canonical.
    • Search Console and GA4 side-by-side, pre and post launch.
    • Daily crawl for the first 7 days to catch regressions fast.
    • Speed monitored on mobile CWV for the full 30 days.
    • Any regression fixed within 24 hours. Documented and closed.

    Deliverable

    A 30-day parity report. Rankings, impressions, speed, and errors across the launch window. Proof that the move did what we said it would.

Want this applied to your site?

The audit is where the protocol starts. 72 hours. $490. Credited against the rebuild if you decide to move forward.

Book a Call

See it in action in our case studies.