Updating a domain is treated by search engines as the introduction of a completely new site, which means the pages must be indexed again.

During this period, short-term changes in rankings and traffic are expected, even when the migration is handled correctly. It is also common to see the previous domain and firm name continue appearing in search results for several months after the switch.

If a domain change is required, the most important step is setting up a sitewide 301 redirect that sends all traffic from the old domain to the new one.

Recommended supporting actions include:

• Verify both domains in Google Search Console and submit a Change of Address request
• Replace mentions of the old firm name and update internal links so they point to the new domain
• Update external citations and references to strengthen signals for the new domain
• Submit updated XML sitemaps in Google Search Console
• Update Google Analytics 4, Google Business Profile, Bing Webmaster Tools, and any other tracking platforms
• Review canonical tags and update structured data if necessary to reflect the new domain
• Keep the old domain active and update important backlinks whenever possible
• Closely monitor crawl errors, indexing status, and ranking performance after launch