MIGRATE

Website Migration · Kemb GmbH

THE WRONG MOVE COSTS
RANKINGS. WE MAKE SURE
YOU MAKE THE RIGHT ONE.

A website migration is one of the few times when you can lose years of SEO progress in just a few days. Incorrect URL mapping, forgotten redirects, or a robots.txt error are enough to cause rankings, backlinks, and visibility on Google and AI systems to plummet. We plan and guide your migration to ensure that exactly that doesn’t happen.

+10 years

Experience with SEO-friendly website migrations

100+

Supporting clients with data-driven SEO strategies

5.0 ★

21 Google reviews, each one well-deserved

Trusted By

The Problem

Most of the harm caused by migration is preventable, yet it happens anyway.

A migration without proper URL mapping sends search engines and users to 404 pages. Missing or incorrect 301 redirects eliminate the link value of backlinks built up over years. And if you don’t take robots.txt, the sitemap, or rendering behavior into account during the migration, you’ll lose not only your Google rankings but also your visibility on GPTBot, ClaudeBot, and Perplexity—which are reassessing right at this very moment whether your site is even still accessible.

The Approach

Migration as a project, not as a side effect of a relaunch.

We treat the SEO aspect of the migration as a standalone project with its own timeline, responsibilities, and performance metrics—not as a box to check at the end of a relaunch project.

Incorrect URL mapping sends users and bots to 404 pages
01

Analysis & Data Collection

A complete crawl of the existing domain(s), analysis of backlink profiles, traffic, and Google Search Console data.

Forgotten 301 redirects reduce link value and rankings
02

URL Mapping & Redirect Planning

Each URL is assigned a specific new location, and redirects are set up and tested before going live.

Robots.txt and Sitemap Overlooked During Site Migration, Crawlers Blocked
03

Implementation & Monitoring

Overseeing the technical implementation; continuously monitoring status codes, rankings, and crawl behavior after the go-live.

AI Crawler

A migration often requires a complete overhaul of the robots.txt file, sitemap, and server configuration. This is exactly where many websites unknowingly lose access for GPTBot, ClaudeBot, and PerplexityBot, while all attention is focused on Googlebot. We review AI crawler access as an integral part of our migration planning, not as an afterthought.

Services

What Our Migration Support Services Include

No off-the-shelf package. Clear scope, dedicated points of contact, measurable results.

01

Analysis

Analysis of the Current Situation & Risk Assessment

A comprehensive crawl, backlink profile, and traffic analysis of your existing website. We identify which pages generate organic visibility or backlinks and need special protection during the migration.

02

Mapping

URL Mapping & Redirect Strategy

Each existing URL is mapped to a new destination URL and linked with a clean 301 redirect. Tested before going live to ensure that link equity and rankings are preserved.

03

Monitoring

Go-Live Support & Monitoring

Monitoring of status codes, crawl access, and rankings immediately after the move. Problems are identified before they result in a loss of traffic or rankings.

GROWTH FLYWHEEL

Part of the Growth Flywheel

We’re happy to take on the individual components. Ultimately, however, it’s never about isolated pieces — it’s about the bigger picture.

Every service is designed to fit into the system — so that tracking, the team and activation work together to drive the flywheel.

Plain text

The Risks of a Failed Migration, in Concrete Terms.

Missing redirects cost you the rankings you’ve built up over the years. Incorrect robots.txt rules block search engines and AI crawlers alike, often going unnoticed until weeks later when the drop in traffic becomes apparent. Lost backlinks are nearly impossible to recover afterward. A migration without a plan isn’t a fresh start—it’s a risk waiting to happen.

Honesty

When we should pass and when we shouldn’t.

We’d rather work with the right customers than with everyone. That saves time for both sides.

You’ll be in the right place with us if…

If you’re planning a website relaunch, a CMS migration, or a domain consolidation and want to maintain your search rankings

You need to consolidate multiple domains or a complex site structure

If you want a structured migration with URL mapping and tested redirects, not a haphazard transition

You want ongoing monitoring even after the system goes live, rather than a one-time handover meeting

Less suitable if…

The migration date has already been set, and no time has been set aside for analysis and URL mapping

No one internally has access to development, hosting, or the CMS to set up redirects

The migration is to be carried out solely by an agency from a technical standpoint, without any SEO coordination

Currently, no one internally has the capacity to approve URL mappings and redirects

VS

Why Kemb

Senior. Direct. No agency levels.

Seniors Only

No Junior Staffing

Every migration is directly supervised by experienced SEO consultants—not delegated.

100%

Transparency

Close collaboration from analysis through to post-go-live monitoring. No black box.

Fix-Scope

Clear Deliverables

No hourly rate. You know exactly what you’re getting ahead of time.

Data First

Measurable Results

Every migration ends with documented URL mapping and monitored rankings—not with quiet hope.

Your point of contact

You’ll be speaking directly to the expert.

Martijn Burgman

Co-Founder · CMO

Martijn has been building data-driven marketing strategies for start-ups and SMEs in the DACH region for over 10 years. He has supported over 100 companies with SEO, content and paid advertising — focusing on measurable results, not just attractive reports.

“Good marketing doesn’t need a big budget. It needs clarity about what works. And the courage to leave the rest out.”

SEO / AEO

Content Strategy

PPC

Analytics

Votes

What customers really say.

★★★★★

“With kemb, we’ve been able to develop practical and robust solutions for our reporting that make management decisions much easier for us. We highly recommend them!”

Simon Köstler-Prada — Co-Founder of STUR

Simon Köstler-Prada — Co-Founder of STUR

★★★★★

“Very good support – super responsive, data-oriented, and providing valuable tips. Moreover, they are a great sparring partner, too.”

Teresa Fernandez — Marketing Lead at Tanso

Teresa Fernandez — Marketing Lead at Tanso

★★★★★

“We needed help with Google Ads, and our startup has been in very good hands here from the very beginning. 100% recommended!”

Max Wittrock — Co-Founder of zeroLabs

Max Wittrock — Co-Founder of zeroLabs

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly can go wrong during a website migration?+

Missing or incorrect 301 redirects, improper URL mapping, blocked robots.txt rules, and lost backlinks are among the most common causes of traffic and ranking losses. Many of these issues aren’t noticed until weeks after the site goes live, by which time the damage has already been done.

Can a migration also affect visibility in AI systems such as ChatGPT?+

Yes. Migrations often reset the robots.txt file, sitemap, and server configuration, and this is exactly where websites unknowingly lose access for GPTBot, ClaudeBot, and PerplexityBot. If attention is focused solely on Googlebot, this risk often goes undetected.

How can I ensure that my rankings survive the migration?+

Through a comprehensive analysis of the current website, clean URL mapping with tested 301 redirects, and close monitoring of rankings and status codes after the site goes live. Haphazard migrations that skip this process are the most common cause of ranking losses.

Does my website have to go offline during the migration?+

In most cases, no. A staging environment allows new configurations to be tested before they go live, which minimizes downtime. However, individual changes may still require brief interruptions, which should be communicated in advance.

How long does a typical website migration take?+

That depends heavily on the scope and complexity. A simple migration takes a few weeks, while larger projects involving multiple domains or a CMS change can take several months. A clearly defined process with fixed phases helps keep the timeline realistic.

What happens to my rankings if I switch CMS at the same time?+

Switching CMS platforms further increases the risk because URL structures, metadata handling, and technical foundations all change at the same time. We ensure that SEO settings and redirects are correctly configured in the new system before the site goes live.

How do you handle multiple domains or a complex site structure?+

We create a structured consolidation plan that organizes all content into a clear new structure. Our top priority is to ensure that pages with organic visibility or valuable backlinks are not lost in the consolidation process.

How quickly can I tell if a migration was successful?+

Initial indicators, such as status codes and crawl behavior, become apparent within a few days. Rankings and organic traffic, however, take several weeks to provide a reliable picture. That’s why we monitor both time frames in parallel, rather than giving the all-clear prematurely after just a few days.

More from Kemb

Additional Services

Website migration is part of our growth marketing system. It often goes hand in hand with:

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