When changing from WordPress to Webflow, there are certain considerations to keep in mind regarding the link structure and SEO of your website, as well as the impact on already shared links on social media. Here's a breakdown:
1. URL structure: By default, WordPress tends to have a URL structure that includes dates and post IDs, which may not be SEO-friendly. In contrast, Webflow allows you to create clean and user-friendly URLs that can better reflect your content and keywords. When migrating to Webflow, you have the opportunity to optimize your link structure by using descriptive slugs and organizing your content logically.
2. Redirections: One crucial step in maintaining SEO and preserving existing link juice is to implement proper redirections. You should set up 301 redirects from your old WordPress URLs to the corresponding pages in Webflow. This ensures that search engines and users are seamlessly directed to the new URLs, while also transferring the SEO value from the old pages to the new ones.
3. Content migration: When moving content from WordPress to Webflow, pay attention to preserving the relevance and context of your content. Ensure that all the content is properly transferred, including titles, headings, meta descriptions, and alt tags. Maintaining consistency in your on-page SEO elements will help search engines understand and rank your new Webflow website effectively.
4. Social media links: Changing your website's URL structure may result in existing social media shares pointing to broken links after the migration. To mitigate this, you can create custom redirects in Webflow or set up server-level redirects using tools like .htaccess file (for Apache server) or web.config file (for IIS server). By mapping the old URLs to the new corresponding URLs, you can retain the social media engagement and ensure that visitors land on the appropriate pages of your new website.
5. Updating metadata: As you transition from WordPress to Webflow, review and update the meta titles and meta descriptions of your web pages. Crafting compelling and keyword-rich metadata helps search engines understand your content better and potentially improve your search rankings. Additionally, this can also enhance the click-through rates (CTR) when your pages appear in search engine results.
6. Monitor and optimize: After the migration, closely monitor your website's performance using SEO analytics tools. Keep an eye on any potential ranking fluctuations and address them promptly. Additionally, take advantage of Webflow's SEO tools, such as built-in meta tags, sitemaps, and customizable robots.txt file, to optimize your website further.
Remember that migrating from WordPress to Webflow is not solely responsible for your website's SEO success. It's essential to continue investing effort in keyword research, content quality, backlink building, and other standard SEO practices to maintain and improve your search engine rankings.