Changing your domain name might seem like a simple switch but if you don’t handle it carefully, it can wreak havoc on your SEO, cost you traffic, and wipe out years of backlink building. We’ve helped law firms navigate domain changes, and trust us: it’s all about having the right plan in place.
Here’s how to change your law firm’s domain name without breaking your site or losing your hard-earned visibility.
Why Changing Your Domain Name Impacts SEO
Google associates your rankings with your domain name. Changing it without proper redirects or planning means all that trust, authority, and history you’ve built can vanish overnight. Not to mention, visitors may end up on broken pages or 404 errors, which sends all the wrong signals to both users and search engines.
Step One: Make a Full Inventory of Your Website
Before making any changes, you need to know exactly what you’re working with.
- Make a list of every page on your site.
- Record all current URLs, page titles, meta descriptions, and headings.
- Don’t forget blog posts, attorney profiles, practice area pages, and even landing pages.
This inventory will help you set up proper redirects and ensure nothing slips through the cracks.
Step Two: Set Up 301 Redirects (Page by Page)
A 301 redirect tells search engines and visitors that a page has moved permanently to a new location.
- Redirect each old URL to its exact match on the new domain.
- Avoid sending everything to the homepage — that’s a common mistake that can hurt SEO.
- Check for any pages that might not have a direct match and create a plan for where those should redirect.
Step Three: Update Internal Links and Sitemaps
- Go through your website and update all internal links to point to the new domain.
- Update your XML sitemap and submit the new sitemap to Google Search Console.
Step Four: Update External Listings and Backlinks
- Update your domain name on Google Business Profile, legal directories, and any other places where your website is listed.
- Reach out to key websites that have linked to you and ask if they’ll update the link to your new domain.
Step Five: Monitor Everything
- Keep a close eye on Google Search Console for crawl errors or indexing issues.
- Use analytics to monitor traffic patterns. A temporary dip is normal, but if traffic drops sharply and stays down, something may need fixing.
Don’t Try to DIY a Domain Change
We’ve seen firsthand how easy it is to lose rankings and traffic with a poorly handled domain change. What seems like a simple swap can involve dozens of technical details that need to be done right.
Want Help Changing Your Law Firm’s Domain Name Without Losing SEO?
We handle domain name changes the right way, from creating a full page inventory to setting up 301 redirects and making sure Google knows where to find you. It’s part of the technical work we do for law firms so you can focus on your practice.
