Being on top of the search results takes a lot of effort while focusing on search engine optimization for your site. While you might have made up your mind to migrate your site to Drupal, one of the biggest challenges is risking your site’s SEO rankings. Even if moving your website from Joomla to Drupal can be a daunting task, with proper planning and execution, it's possible to make a seamless transition and keep your search engine rankings intact.

Wish to migrate to Drupal for better performance but don’t know what precautions to take? In this article, we'll go through some of the best practices for moving your website from Joomla to Drupal without losing your hard-earned SEO rankings.

 

Backup your website

Before you start the migration process, it's essential to create a backup of your Joomla website. You can do this by using a backup plugin or by manually exporting your website's database and files.

Creating a backup ensures that you have a fallback option in case anything goes wrong during the migration process. It also makes it easier to revert to your old website if you decide to abandon the migration process altogether.

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Conduct a technical SEO audit

A technical SEO audit helps you identify any technical issues on your website that could negatively impact your search engine rankings. Some of the common technical issues include broken links, duplicate content, and incorrect page titles.

By conducting a technical SEO audit, it becomes easier to identify and fix these issues before moving your website to Drupal. This ensures that your website's SEO is not negatively impacted during the migration process.

 

Research and plan your Drupal website

Moving to a new platform presents an opportunity to reassess your website's structure, content, and design. Therefore, it's crucial to research and plan your Drupal website thoroughly before starting the migration process.

Start by identifying the Drupal modules that you will need to recreate your Joomla website's functionality. You can use the Drupal website to identify the modules you need and to install them.

You should also plan your website's structure and content to ensure that you retain your existing URL structure. This helps to maintain your website's search engine rankings.

 

Choose the right Drupal theme

Choosing the right Drupal theme is crucial to maintaining your website's design and user experience. A good theme should be responsive, fast, and optimized for SEO.

You can browse the Drupal theme repository to find a theme that suits your needs. However, it's important to ensure that the theme you choose is compatible with the Drupal version you're using.

 

Migrate your content

Migrating your content is the most crucial part of the migration process. It involves transferring your website's pages, posts, and other content from Joomla to Drupal.

To migrate your content, you can use a migration tool like the Drupal Migrate module. The module allows you to migrate your content from Joomla to Drupal by importing your Joomla website's database.

When migrating your content, ensure that you maintain the same URL structure as your Joomla website. This helps to ensure that your website's search engine rankings are not negatively impacted.

 

Implement 301 redirects

Implementing 301 redirects is crucial to maintaining your website's search engine rankings. 301 redirects tell search engines that your website's content has moved permanently to a new location.

To implement 301 redirects, you can use a redirection plugin like the Redirect module in Drupal. The module allows you to create 301 redirects from your old Joomla URLs to your new Drupal URLs.

 

Test your website

Once you have completed the migration process, it's essential to test your website thoroughly to ensure that everything is working correctly. You can use tools like Google Search Console to check your website's search engine rankings and identify any issues that need to be addressed.

You should also check your website's pages to ensure that they load quickly and that the content is displayed correctly. Additionally, you should test your website's forms and other functionality to ensure that they are working correctly.

 

Submit a new sitemap

Submitting a new sitemap to search engines is crucial to ensuring that your website's content is indexed correctly. A sitemap is a file that contains a list of all the pages on your website. By submitting a new sitemap, you can ensure that search engines are aware of your website's new structure and content.

To create a sitemap, you can use a sitemap generator like the XML Sitemap module in Drupal. The module automatically generates a sitemap for your website, which you can submit to search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo.

 

Monitor your website's performance

After the migration process is complete, it's essential to monitor your website's performance regularly. This includes checking your website's search engine rankings, traffic, and user engagement.

You can use tools like Google Analytics to monitor your website's traffic and user engagement. Additionally, you can use tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to track your website's search engine rankings.

By monitoring your website's performance, you can identify any issues that need to be addressed and make adjustments to your SEO strategy accordingly.

 

Conclusion

Migrating from Joomla to Drupal can be a challenging process, but with proper planning and execution, it's possible to keep your search engine rankings intact.

Choose an appropriate Drupal theme to maintain your website’s design and user experience while researching and planning your Drupal website thoroughly.

You can choose to monitor your website's performance regularly to identify any issues that need to be addressed and make adjustments to your SEO strategy accordingly.

By following these best practices, you can successfully move your website from Joomla to Drupal without losing your hard-earned SEO rankings.

Not sure how to get started? Our team at Altudo can help you with seamless Drupal migration while maintaining your SEO ranks. Drop a Hi! at marketing@altudo.co to get in touch with our team and understand how to get started with Drupal migration for your site.