{"id":11513,"date":"2016-08-19T08:52:31","date_gmt":"2016-08-19T13:52:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/?p=11513"},"modified":"2019-07-02T11:35:56","modified_gmt":"2019-07-02T16:35:56","slug":"change-your-domain-name","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/change-your-domain-name\/","title":{"rendered":"Want to Change Your Domain Name? Here’s What You Need to Do"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

\"Change<\/p>\n

Changing your domain name can be a scary process. After all, you\u2019ve worked hard to build brand awareness and you probably have some backlinks pointing to your site at this point. You don\u2019t want to sacrifice your rankings or any authority, but you\u2019ve reached the point where changing your domain name is inevitable.<\/span><\/p>\n

What are you to do?<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t fret; we\u2019ve got you covered. Below we showcase a few main concerns when changing your domain name and walk you through the process of changing your domain without harming your SEO.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Common Reasons to Change a Domain<\/span><\/h2>\n

Before we dive into the process of actually changing your domain let\u2019s take a look at some of the common reasons you\u2019ll want to make this change in the first place. When changing your domain always make sure to give it a lot of thought. It\u2019s not something you\u2019ll want to jump into lightly. <\/span><\/p>\n

1. You Want to Change the Extension<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes when you originally bought your domain name the domain extension you wanted<\/span><\/a> wasn\u2019t available. When you have a .net or .biz domain name this can convey less authority to your visitors. Websites like .com can also be easier to remember and can be the default domain extension your visitor types into the search bar. <\/span><\/p>\n

2. Your Business Name Has Changed<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve changed the name of your business, then there really isn\u2019t a way around it. Your domain name needs to change with. This is one aspect of maintaining a clear and consistent brand<\/span><\/a> online. <\/span><\/p>\n

3. You\u2019re Tired Of Your Old Domain<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

It can be tempting to change your domain name, because you want to give your site a facelift and freshen things up. However, you\u2019ll want to make sure you\u2019re thinking this through. Make sure that changing your domain is worth the risk of potentially lost rankings and traffic.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Domain<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How to Change Your Domain While Keeping SEO Juice<\/span><\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re absolutely positive you want to change your domain name, then follow the steps below to minimize any risk of lost rankings.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you’re a current HostGator customer,<\/strong> please read our support documentation on changing your domain name<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

1. Back Up Your Site<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Backing up your current website will help you avoid any potential pitfalls up the road. Before you make any massive changes to your website make sure you have a working backup. You\u2019ll want to test your backup to make sure all of your content and file are intact and nothing is corrupted.<\/span><\/p>\n

To help with your domain change, as well as to avoid any potential catastrophes later on, it’s always recommended to back up your site regularly. Current HostGator customers can get automatic daily backups with CodeGuard for as little as $1.67\/mo – click here<\/a> for more info.<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

2. Check for Domain Penalties<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Did you know that your new domain could already be penalized? When buying a used domain there\u2019s a chance there could be some low-quality backlinks pointing at your site. You\u2019ll want to disavow these links before you move forward with migrating your site.<\/span><\/p>\n

The best way to do this is to utilize Google Webmaster Tools<\/span><\/a>. Navigate to Search Traffic>Manual Actions<\/i> and see if there are any instances of web spam targeting your domain. If there are, just submit a removal request and you\u2019ll be all set.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Migrate Your Content<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Now that you\u2019ve done the foundational work it\u2019s time to move your content over to your new domain. If you can do this all at once it will help to speed up the process and reduce the risk of any negative SEO impact.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can use a plugin like All-in-One WP Migration<\/span><\/a> to simplify the process, if you\u2019re utilizing WordPress. If you\u2019re doing it manually, then you\u2019ll want to set aside a period of time where you can copy everything over.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Redirect Your Old Pages<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Now it\u2019s time to add URL redirects<\/a> on all of your old content to your new site. You\u2019ll want to use a 301 redirect, which is a permanent redirect. This will pass your SEO juice onto your new site. <\/span><\/p>\n

You can use a plugin like Simple 301 Redirects<\/span><\/a> if your site runs on WordPress, but if not, then refer to this article<\/span><\/a> from Google Support. These resources will help you implement redirects to all of your necessary pages.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you have pages that are no longer present on your new site, then make sure you create a relevant page, so users don\u2019t land on a funky 404 page. <\/span><\/p>\n

5. Tell Google You\u2019ve Moved<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Now we\u2019ve reached the final step in the process. It\u2019s time to tell Google we\u2019ve moved. You can do this by navigating to the gear icon in the right-hand corner and submitting a change of address within your Google Webmaster Tools<\/span> dashboard. This will alert Google to your new location, just make sure you complete all of the previous steps first.<\/span><\/p>\n

To further increase the functionality of your new site you can create a new XML sitemap. According to Google<\/span><\/a>, you should actually create two sitemaps. One for your old domain and one for your new domain. Over time, you\u2019ll see that the old domains will be de-indexed and your new domains will take their place.<\/span><\/p>\n

There you have it. If you\u2019ve followed the steps above, your new site should be migrated and you should be error free. <\/span><\/p>\n

Ready to make the change? Purchase a new domain with HostGator.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Get My New Domain!<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Changing your domain name can be a scary process. After all, you\u2019ve worked hard to build brand awareness and you probably have some backlinks pointing to your site at this point. You don\u2019t want to sacrifice your rankings or any authority, but you\u2019ve reached the point where changing your domain name is inevitable. What […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":144,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[118,120,119],"class_list":["post-11513","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-web-and-hosting-tips","tag-register-domain","tag-shared-hosting","tag-transfer-domain"],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Change Your Website Domain Name | HostGator<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Make sure to follow these 5 critical steps you need to change your domain name, including how to preserve your website rankings!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/change-your-domain-name\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Change Your Website Domain Name | HostGator\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Make sure to follow these 5 critical steps you need to change your domain name, including how to preserve your website rankings!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/change-your-domain-name\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"HostGator\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/HostGator\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-08-19T13:52:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-07-02T16:35:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Change-Domain-Name.png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kevin Wood\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@HostGator\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@HostGator\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kevin Wood\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hostgator.com\\\/blog\\\/change-your-domain-name\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hostgator.com\\\/blog\\\/change-your-domain-name\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Kevin Wood\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hostgator.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/85675aae4bde46f0f85654ce61827f5a\"},\"headline\":\"Want to Change Your Domain Name? 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