When migrating website platforms but keeping the domain name how best do we add the new site to google webmaster tools? Best redirect practices?

[WNL]

We are moving from BigCommerce to Shopify but maintaining our domain name and need to make sure that all links redirect to their corresponding links. We understand the nature of 301s and are fine with that, but when it comes to adding the site to google webmaster tools, not losing link juice and the change of address tool we are kind of lost. Any advice would be most welcome. Thank you so much in advance!

[WNL]

Thank you so much this was very helpful.

[WNL]

Thanks Ken that makes me feel much better thank you so much.

E

[ThompsonPaul]

Just to be clear on the change of address tool part of the question - use of that tool doesn't apply in this scenario. It is only to be used when moving the domain a new, different domain name. Since you're domain name is staying the same, there is no "new address" to point to. The 301s will take care of the page address changes - the change of address tool has nothing to do with these page-level changes.

Hope that helps?

Paul

P.S. Make damn sure you've got a couple of redundant mechanisms in place to constantly check for 404s due to missed/incorrect redirects after the move so you can catch & fix asap (Webmaster Tools, server error logs, Screaming Frog/Xenu etc). And run a full check on every redirect you write. It's soooo easy for a misplace space, period etc to break what looks like a perfectly good redirect. Uploading your redirect list to the paid version of Screaming Frog and running through there is the easiest way I know to do this. Good luck!

[CandymanKen]

Hi,

We just went through a similar platform change and found that for the most part  the 301s did the heavy lifting. We are still finding pages that we missed, but we got a large majority and I'm happy to say that our traffic/rankings are doing well (getting better everyday).

We did't re-verify we just left the verification code on the site and Google seemed to catch on.

Good luck on the move!

Ken

[ChadC]

If I am understanding the question right?... 301 Redirects should save the Juice, as far as your Webmaster tools I think the only thing you can do is re-verify it using one of their acceptable methods and let Google update the info on its own. With a re-verify Google won't lose information from the past they will just add the new info going forward.