Navigating Domain Migration Challenges: A Case Study

In the realm of digital development, domain migration can often be a daunting task filled with potential pitfalls. Recently, a friend of mine, who operates a unique browser service named Horse, found himself grappling with significant SEO challenges following a domain change. Let’s delve into the situation and explore insights that could potentially illuminate such dilemmas for others in similar predicaments.

The Transition: From browser.horse to gethorse.com

Approximately three and a half months ago, my friend transitioned his landing page from the original domain, browser.horse, to a more professional gethorse.com. The intention behind this move was to establish a stronger brand presence and enhance the company’s credibility by adopting a “.com” suffix. Unfortunately, the outcome has been far from what he had hoped for, as several issues have arisen post-migration.

The Issues at Hand

1. Search Results Confusion: The outdated domain, browser.horse, continues to dominate search results for branded queries, while the new domain, gethorse.com, remains invisible—failing to show up for any searches, even when users look specifically for the homepage.

2. Indexing Anomalies: While gethorse.com is indexed only when performing a “site:gethorse.com” search, it does not appear in standard search results, even for unique queries such as the site title and subtitle that should naturally lead to the new domain.

3. No Clear Resolutions: After raising the problem on the Google Search Console Help forum a month ago, my friend received feedback but no concrete solutions to remedy the ongoing issue. Here’s a link to the discussion for more context.

Insights from the Migration Process

In his struggle, my friend meticulously followed best practices for domain migration. Here’s how the process unfolded:

• 301 Redirects: Every URL from the old domain was redirected to the new one, ensuring that visitors would seamlessly transition to gethorse.com.

• Content Parity: The content on the new domain mirrors that of the original, maintaining consistency for returning users.

• Google Search Console Protocols: He submitted a Change of Address to Google, which was promptly approved, and