What To Do If You Want To Change Your Domain Name?
When you decide to change your domain name, there are important steps to take for a smooth transition.
Before buying a new domain from reputable Australian domain hosts, website owners need to back up their content, set up redirects, and submit change of address requests to search engines.
Following precise technical measures will help retain visitors and increase search visibility when pointing your Australian domain to new digital real estate.
Deciding to Change Domain Name
If you currently have a domain name for your website or online business, you may eventually find yourself wanting to change it. There are several reasons why you might want to change your domain name:
- Your business has evolved, and the current name no longer fits
- You want a shorter or more memorable domain name
- There is another business with a similar domain that is causing confusion
- You simply want to rebrand with a new name
Before deciding to officially change your domain name, think carefully about the implications. Changing domains can negatively impact your search engine optimisation (SEO) and lead to a temporary loss of traffic and visibility. However, choosing a better domain that aligns with your brand can also improve your online presence in the long run.
Key Steps When Changing Your Domain Name
If you decide moving forward with a new domain is the right choice, here are the key steps to take:
● Backup Your Website Content
The first step is to back up all of your website content before initiating the domain change. This includes all pages, blog posts, images, videos, and other files. Save copies to your local computer or use a cloud-based backup service. This way, no content will be lost during the transition period.
● Purchase the New Domain
Once backed up, go ahead and buy the domain name you have chosen. Use a reputable domain registrar to purchase and configure the new domain.
● Point DNS to Your Hosting Provider
The next step is to update the name servers and DNS settings for the newly purchased domain to point it to your hosting provider. This connects the domain name to your actual website hosting account and content.
● Migrate Content to the New Domain
With your hosting appropriately pointed, you can now migrate all of your backed-up website content over to the new domain. Use website migration tools to automate this process as much as possible. Manually moving content from one domain to another can be tedious and time-consuming.
● Set Up Redirects from Old to New Domain
With content migrated over, any links pointing to your old domain will now lead visitors to error pages. To prevent losing that traffic, set up 301 permanent redirects that forward your old domain URLs to the corresponding pages on the new domain. This passes link equity and ensures visitors still reach your content.
● Submit Change of Address in Search Consoles
Finally, use Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools to make a change of address request. This tells the search engines about your new domain so they can update their indexes and pass on link equity from the old domain. Keep managing both search console accounts during the transition.
Conclusion
Follow this process carefully when deciding to change domain names to ensure no SEO value or website content is lost in the process. Pay attention to redirects and search engine submissions so visitors and search bots seamlessly find their way to your new domain.
By carefully following these steps for how to change a domain name, you can transition to a new domain smoothly without losing traffic or rankings.