Webmasters face significant and prolonged challenges when migrating domains, with Google’s re-indexing processes sometimes extending for more than a year and causing substantial search engine optimization (SEO) issues.
These complexities can lead to new domains losing traffic and indexation, even after initial recovery, as Google may revert to indexing the old domain, according to user reports and statements from Google officials.
One user on Reddit reported that their new domain had more than 5,000 pages marked as ‘Discovered, currently not indexed’ four months after a migration, following an abrupt re-indexing of their old domain by Google.
John Mueller, a Google Search Advocate, acknowledged that some Google migration processes can take a particularly long time to complete.
Google’s Gary Illyes further elaborated that while a typical domain migration usually takes one to three months, the process can extend to more than a year if technical issues are present.
Experts emphasize the importance of correctly configuring the ‘Change of Address’ tool within Google Search Console during a domain migration.
This configuration is necessary for both the ‘www’ and non-‘www’ versions of the domain to ensure Google properly recognizes the new site.
Failure to implement these steps meticulously can result in prolonged periods of reduced search visibility and traffic for the migrated website.
The extended timelines and potential for re-indexing old domains highlight the intricate nature of Google’s algorithms and the need for webmasters to monitor migration progress closely.
Industry analysts suggest that persistent monitoring of Search Console data and server logs is important to identify and address any potential indexing issues promptly.
Source: Abondance
