The short answer: yes, you can move from Squarespace or Wix to WordPress without losing your Google rankings. The keys are to keep your existing URLs where you can, set up a permanent (301) redirect for every URL that changes, carry over page titles and descriptions, and check Google Search Console after launch. Most ranking drops after a platform move come from skipping one of those steps.
Moving off a website builder is one of the most common projects I take on. People are usually worried about one thing above all: losing the search traffic they’ve spent years building. Here’s how to protect it.
Why do sites lose rankings when they change platforms?
Google ranks pages, and it knows them by their URLs. Squarespace and Wix each have their own URL patterns: blog posts might live at /blog/post-title on one platform and /post-title/ on WordPress. If those addresses change and nothing tells Google where the pages went, the old URLs start returning “page not found” errors. The rankings and links attached to them are effectively lost.
The other common causes are smaller but add up: page titles and meta descriptions that weren’t copied over, images that lost their alt text, and internal links that still point at old addresses.
Step 1: List every URL on your current site
Before anything changes, make a complete list of your current pages, blog posts, product pages, and image-heavy pages such as galleries. Your site’s /sitemap.xml is the best starting point; both Squarespace and Wix generate one automatically. Add anything that gets traffic or has links from other sites: Google Search Console’s Pages and Links reports will show you which URLs matter most.
Step 2: Decide the new URL for each page
The simplest way to protect rankings is to keep URLs exactly the same where you can. WordPress lets you control the address of every page, so /about can stay /about. Where a URL has to change, for example because of the blog structure, write down the old URL and its new address side by side. This “redirect map” is the most important document in the whole move.
Step 3: Set up 301 redirects for every changed URL
A 301 redirect tells browsers and search engines that a page has moved permanently. Google’s own guidance on site moves says permanent redirects don’t cause a loss of PageRank, so the ranking signals follow the page to its new address (Google Search Central).
In WordPress, redirects are typically managed with a redirect plugin or at the server level. Set them up before the new site goes live, test each one, and leave them in place for good. Google’s guidance is to keep redirects for at least 180 days, and longer while they still receive traffic (Google Search Console Help). There’s rarely a reason to ever remove them.
Step 4: Carry over titles, descriptions, and alt text
For every page that ranks, copy across:
- The SEO title (the blue link text in search results)
- The meta description (the snippet under it)
- The main headings on the page
- Image alt text, especially on product and gallery pages
You don’t have to keep everything word for word. Improving weak titles during a move is fine. Just don’t let them disappear.
Step 5: Launch carefully, then check Google Search Console
On launch day, point your domain at the new site and make sure it’s not blocking search engines. (WordPress has a “discourage search engines” setting that’s sometimes left on from development.) Then:
- Submit your new sitemap in Google Search Console.
- Spot-check your old URLs to confirm each one redirects to the right page.
- Watch the Pages report over the following weeks for new “not found” errors, and add redirects for anything you missed.
Some small movement in rankings for a few weeks after a move is normal while Google recrawls the site. Big, lasting drops usually point to missing redirects.
Do I need to move my domain name?
No. Your domain name can usually stay with whichever registrar you bought it from. If it was purchased through Squarespace or Wix, you can keep it there and just point it at your new WordPress hosting, or transfer it elsewhere later. Keeping the same domain is the single biggest thing you can do to protect your rankings.
How long does a Squarespace or Wix to WordPress move take?
For a typical small-business site, a couple of weeks from start to launch. The biggest factor is the amount of content: a ten-page brochure site moves much faster than one with hundreds of blog posts or products.
Can I do this myself?
If your site is small and you’re comfortable with WordPress, yes. The steps above are the whole process. If you’d rather not risk the traffic you’ve built, PowerUp’s Conversion to WordPress service handles the content transfer, a clean modern setup, mobile testing, and the SEO carry-over (titles, descriptions, and URL structure). Conversions start at $900.
Tell me about your current site and I’ll give you a real quote.