A WordPress migration usually destroys rankings because of broken or missing 301 redirects, changed URL structures, pages that didn't carry over, accidental noindex settings, or lost content and internal links. The good news: most of this is recoverable once you identify exactly what broke.
What's happening
After the migration, Google can't find your old URLs or sees a weaker version of your pages, so rankings and traffic drop.
Why it happens
Missing 301 redirects, changed permalinks, a leftover 'discourage search engines' setting, lost pages, thinned content, or slower load times.
How to diagnose it
Crawl old vs new URLs, check redirects, review Search Console coverage and the noindex/robots settings, and compare content before and after.
Step-by-step fix
Map and add 301 redirects from old to new URLs. Remove accidental noindex. Restore lost pages and content. Fix internal links. Resubmit the sitemap and request re-indexing.
Common mistakes
Skipping redirects, leaving search engines discouraged after launch, and changing URLs without a redirect plan.
When to call a professional
If traffic dropped sharply and you can't map what changed, fast professional recovery limits the damage.
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Frequently asked questions
Usually yes, if you fix the underlying issues — sooner is better.
Often weeks to a few months once fixes are in and Google re-crawls.
Missing 301 redirects from old URLs to new ones.
Yes — migration SEO recovery is a core service.