Permanent backlinks and a blog move: how to keep them working
A link only counts if the address it points at still answers. When a travel blog changes platform, the order of work decides what you keep.
Why moving can quietly erase the links you paid for
A placement is permanent on the donor's side. It is not permanent on yours.
If your URLs change and nothing redirects, every link from every article points at a 404, and the value you built goes nowhere. Whether you are leaving WordPress.com for WordPress.org, switching host or adding a multilingual plugin like WPML, treat the move as a link project first and a design project second.
The runbook, in order
Export the list of live URLs
Use your sitemap and the Pages report in Search Console. Add every URL that has an external link; Ahrefs or Search Console's links report shows which.
Build a URL map
Two columns: old address, new address. Keep paths identical wherever possible, since the safest redirect is the one you never need.
Export and import content
The WordPress.com export file carries posts and pages. Check media, categories and comments after import; some things do not travel.
Set 301 redirects
Use your host's redirect rules or a plugin such as Redirection. Test twenty URLs by hand.
Re-submit and monitor
Submit the new sitemap, then check Search Console for crawl errors weekly for a month.
A travel blogger's trap: the seasonal archive
Old trip posts feel disposable.
They are not. A 2019 post about a hostel in Hanoi may still carry two or three links from travel forums, and deleting it in the move wipes those out. Keep every URL that has an external link, even when the content is dated, and add a note on top that the information may have changed. Our seasonal calendar explains when to refresh instead of delete, and the Google Search Console links report shows which old posts matter.
Timing a move around your calendar
Never migrate in peak season. If your readers book winter-sun holidays in January, do the move in spring or early summer, not in November. A migration needs a few quiet weeks to settle, and a dip in a slow month costs far less than one in your busiest. Tools such as Yoast SEO and Rank Math can help generate redirects and sitemaps, but they still need the URL map first.
After the move: a two-month watch list
Check often.
Week one, test the redirects daily and compare Search Console's coverage report with your URL map. Weeks two to four, watch for soft 404s and a drop in indexed pages. By week eight the picture is clear: either traffic has returned to its old shape or something needs fixing. Keep the old hosting live for at least that long, and never delete the export file. Stay calm.
What can go wrong, and the quick check
| Problem | Likely cause | Check |
|---|---|---|
| Old URLs return 404 | No redirect rule | Open five from the URL map |
| Links lead to the homepage only | A catch-all redirect | Redirect page to page instead |
| Multilingual posts lost | Language plugin not set up first | Install the plugin before import |
| Images missing | Hot-linked media | Re-run the media import |
Finish the move and let the redirects settle before ordering. New placements should point at the final address, which the budget plans assume.
Migration questions from bloggers
Will I lose rankings when I move?
Often there is a small dip, and a clean move with matching URLs and 301 redirects keeps it small. A move that also changes the design, titles and structure at the same time is harder to read afterwards. Change one thing at a time where you can.
Can I keep my old domain's links if I rebrand?
Yes, if the old domain redirects page to page to the new one for as long as you can manage. Tell the biggest linking sites about the new address too. Not everyone updates, but some do.