Tools you need

Google Search ConsoleScreaming FrogWayback MachineAhrefsNext.js

The steps

1. 1Export the current URL inventory
   Crawl the live WordPress site with Screaming Frog. Export every URL, status code and title. This is your migration source of truth.
2. 2Pull top-ranking URLs and backlinks
   In Search Console, export the "Pages" report for the last 16 months. In Ahrefs or Semrush, export top backlinks. Any URL ranking or holding backlinks is priority preservation.
3. 3Map old URLs to new
   In a spreadsheet, list every old URL and the equivalent new URL. Any URL without a direct equivalent gets mapped to the nearest category or service page — never to the homepage.
4. 4Rebuild in Next.js with the new URL structure
   Design the new app/router tree to match your final URL structure. Do not try to match the old WordPress URLs exactly — your new site deserves a cleaner structure.
5. 5Reproduce schema, titles and descriptions
   Port or improve every pages title, meta description and structured data. Many WordPress sites have SEO plugins generating schema; you need equivalent or better on the new site.
6. 6Configure 301 redirects
   In next.config.js, add an async redirects() function returning every mapping from step 3. Pattern-based redirects (/:slug) cover bulk routes; exact redirects handle exceptions.
7. 7Launch, submit sitemap, monitor
   Deploy on a Friday only if you can monitor over the weekend (otherwise Tuesday). Submit the new sitemap in Search Console. Watch "Pages > Indexing" daily for the first 30 days.
8. 8Fix 404s as they appear
   Search Console will show new 404s. Any with traffic history gets an additional 301 to the best-match new URL. Expect the long tail to take 60–90 days to fully stabilise.

Frequently asked

• Will I lose rankings during the migration?Expect 5–20% temporary drop in the first 30 days as Google re-crawls. If rankings dont recover in 60 days, redirects are missing or schema regressed — audit both.
• How long does the whole migration take?A 100-page site: 2–4 weeks build + 60 days stabilisation. Larger sites scale linearly.