By Shad Super in Questions —

What Is the Purpose of the Change of Address Tool in Google Search Console?

Summary

The Change of Address tool in Google Search Console helps website owners inform Google when a website has moved to a new domain. This tool facilitates the smooth transition of SEO rankings and indexed content from the old domain to the new one, ensuring continuous search traffic without significant disruption.

Purpose of the Change of Address Tool

SEO Transition

The primary purpose of the Change of Address tool is to manage the SEO implications associated with moving a website to a new domain. It ensures that the traffic and search engine visibility you've built over time are effectively transferred to your new domain, maintaining your search rankings and preventing a drop in organic traffic.

Informing Google

By using the tool, you notify Google about your domain change, which helps speed up the reindexing process. Google can then start indexing the new domain and transferring signals, such as backlinks, from the old domain [Google Developers, 2023].

Best Practices for Using the Change of Address Tool

Here are the steps and best practices you should follow when using the Change of Address tool:

1. Verify Site Ownership

Ensure that both the old and new domains are verified in Google Search Console. Verification proves you control both domains and are authorized to initiate the change of address process.

2. Implement 301 Redirects

Set up 301 redirects from the old domain to the new domain. This indicates to search engines that the pages have moved permanently and transfers most of the SEO value to the new domain. You can learn more about 301 redirects here.

Update all internal links in your site to point to the new domain. This ensures a good user experience and helps search engine crawlers follow the correct paths.

Contact webmasters of the sites linking to your old domain and request an update to point to the new domain. Although 301 redirects help maintain link equity, direct links to your new domain are preferable.

5. Submit Change of Address

After configuring 301 redirects and updating links, use the Change of Address tool in Google Search Console to inform Google about your domain change. Here’s the step-by-step guide provided by Google: Google Search Console Help.

Additional Considerations

Monitor Traffic and Indexing

After submitting the change, monitor your website’s traffic and indexing status. Use Google Analytics and Google Search Console to track any significant changes or issues. You may experience temporary fluctuations in traffic as Google processes the change.

XML Sitemap and Robots.txt

Update your XML sitemap to reflect the new URLs and ensure it's accessible at the new domain. Likewise, update the Robots.txt file to avoid blocking important resources inadvertently.

Conclusion

The Change of Address tool is crucial for maintaining your website’s SEO health during a domain change. By following best practices and monitoring the transition closely, you can minimize disruptions to your search engine traffic and ensure a smooth handover from your old domain to the new one.

References