There are many reasons why you might want to change your domain name. Perhaps your brand has evolved, you’ve found a better brand name, or you’re moving into a new market. Whatever the reason, changing your domain name is a big step and needs to be handled carefully to avoid losing visitors or search engine rankings.
This guide walks you through the process step-by-step, explains what to watch out for, and shows you how to make the change as smoothly as possible.
Step 1: Decide on your new domain name
Before you change your domain name, make sure your new choice is the right one for the long term.
- Keep it short, simple, and easy to remember.
- Avoid tricky spellings or hyphens.
- Check the availability of domain extensions that fit your audience (for example, .com.au or .store).
If you haven’t purchased your new domain yet, you can use our domain name search tool to find available options and secure it before anyone else does.
Step 2: Set your new primary domain
Once you have your new domain, you need to set it as the primary domain in your hosting or website builder platform. This tells your account and site to display the new address instead of the old one.
For example, VentraIP allows you to change the primary domain name of your cPanel web hosting service inside VIPcontrol. If you change the domain name for your VentraIP web hosting service, it’s important to ensure your new domain name is pointing at your web hosting service. Here are some support articles that will help you do that:
If you host your website with VentraIP and have any questions about this process, feel free to contact our technical support team.
Step 3: Use redirects to guide visitors and search engines
Redirects are critical when changing a domain name. Without them, visitors will land on broken pages, and search engines may treat your new site as unrelated to the old one. A 301 redirect is the most common solution, as it tells search engines the move is permanent and transfers most of your SEO value to the new domain.
The exact steps you need to take will depend on how much of your website is changing.
Scenario 1: Only your domain name has changed
If your site’s structure and content remain the same, a blanket redirect (also known as a wildcard redirect) is usually enough. This automatically sends all traffic from your old domain name to your new one.
- Many hosting providers, including VentraIP, allow you to configure a wildcard redirect with just a few clicks.
- Popular CMS platforms like WordPress also offer redirect plugins that can handle wildcard redirects without touching server files.
- If you manage your own server, you can add rewrite rules in your server configuration (such as .htaccess for Apache or a server block in NGINX).
Scenario 2: Your domain name and site structure are changing
If you are updating navigation, moving pages, or altering URLs, you must set up individual redirects for each changed page. Without these, visitors and search engines may encounter error pages instead of the right content.
A good way to manage this is by creating a redirect map in a spreadsheet.
- Column 1: List all old URLs.
- Column 2: Record the new URLs they should point to.
This ensures every significant page is accounted for, avoids broken links, and provides a clear plan if you are working with a developer or SEO specialist. While time-consuming, it is one of the most effective ways to protect your search engine rankings during a domain change.
Step 4: Update all internal links and content
Even with redirects in place, it’s best to update any old links on your site to use the new domain. This includes:
- Internal navigation menus.
- Links inside blog posts or pages.
- Image or file URLs.
Updating these ensures your site is clean, avoids unnecessary redirects, and helps search engines fully recognise your new primary domain.
Step 5: Inform Google and other search engines
Once you have changed your primary domain name and implemented all your redirects, you should inform Google via Google Search Console, using their Change of Address Tool.
We recommend only doing this once you have completed the prior steps in this guide, don’t do it beforehand.
You should also submit your website’s sitemap to Google.
Step 6: Update your brand presence
Changing your domain isn’t just a technical process, it’s also a brand update. Make sure to:
- Update your email addresses to match the new domain (e.g. change info@oldsite.com to info@newsite.com).
- Change domain details in your social media profiles.
- Update any business listings or online directories.
Step 7: Monitor performance after the change
After you’ve updated everything, keep a close eye on your site’s analytics for the next few weeks. Watch for:
- Any drops in traffic that might indicate redirect or indexing issues.
- Crawl errors in Google Search Console.
- Broken links that may still be pointing to your old domain.
Catching these early will help you fix problems before they have a lasting impact.
If you haven’t done so already, set up Google Analytics for your website so that you can monitor traffic.
SEO impact of changing your domain (and how to protect it)
Changing your domain name can temporarily affect your SEO rankings because search engines need time to process the change. To minimise the impact:
- Always use 301 redirects from your old domain to your new one.
- If a URL for a page is going to change, make sure to implement a redirect for it.
- Update all important links and domain settings promptly.
- Notify Google and Bing via their webmaster tools.
- Keep your site structure, content, and hosting the same to maintain consistency.
By following these steps, most sites regain their previous rankings within weeks to months.
Build Your New Online Identity
Changing your domain name doesn’t have to be stressful. With the right preparation, careful redirects, and updated online references, you can make the transition smoothly while protecting your search visibility.
Having reliable support along the way can make a real difference. At VentraIP, our local team is here to point you in the right direction and provide assistance where we can. While some steps may sit outside the scope of direct support, we’re always happy to help as best we can and guide you towards resources that will keep your site running smoothly.
If you are ready to move forward, register your new domain name with VentraIP and pair it with our fast, secure Australian web hosting. With competitive pricing and local support, we provide the solid foundation your new online identity deserves.
