THE USEFUL TAKEAWAY
Map old URLs and check customer contact paths.
Before moving a business website to a new domain, document where its pages, images and downloads will go.
WHAT THE SOURCES SAY
What the official sources say
Google recommends mapping old URLs to their new destinations and using direct permanent redirects, such as 301 or 308. Avoid sending unrelated pages to the home page. Pages whose content has been combined can point to the relevant combined page. Update canonical tags, internal links and sitemaps, verify both sites in Search Console, and test and monitor the move. Keep redirects as long as possible, generally at least a year. Search visibility can fluctuate; unchanged rankings or traffic are not guaranteed.
Here is how we suggest using that advice.
01 / PUT IT INTO PRACTICE
Document customer contact paths
Wildfire also recommends an owner-approved list of every contact form, booking link, phone link and lead destination. Record where each one sends a customer or inquiry and who will test it after the move. For Kansas City metro businesses, this gives the team a practical way to check that customers can still reach the right person at the new domain.
What this can and cannot tell you
AI-assisted editorial guidance.
About this guide
Written by Wildfire Local, with AI helping with research and drafting. We checked the official sources on October 16, 2026. Examples explain the ideas; they are not client results unless we say so. Advice can change. Follow the source links for the latest information.
First published October 16, 2026.
WHAT TO DO NEXT
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Final checks depend on the website and booking tools involved, so confirm those details before launch.
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