Move your site to WordPress by auditing current URLs, backing up files, choosing a clean WordPress setup, importing content, mapping 301 redirects, checking SEO tags, testing tracking links, and launching only after crawl errors are fixed. For affiliate marketers, a safe WordPress migration means one thing first: protect pages that already bring clicks, leads, and commissions.
At AffMaven, we treat every migration like a revenue handover, not just a platform switch. Your articles, coupon pages, comparison tables, cloaked links, schema, internal links, and tracking scripts all need care before DNS changes go live.
WordPress.com supports site imports from WordPress.org, another WordPress.com site, blogging platforms, website builders, and other platforms such as Wix, Squarespace, Weebly, Medium, Substack, Tumblr, Facebook, and Gumroad.
For self-hosted WordPress sites, WordPress.com offers self-service migration and All-in-One WP Migration routes that can import content, media, plugins, and themes .
Migration Goal: Keep Money Pages Safe
Affiliate sites have a different risk profile. A normal blog can lose a few old posts and still be fine. An affiliate site can lose income if one “best tools” page, one coupon URL, or one comparison post breaks.
Start by listing every URL that brings revenue. Add organic traffic, backlinks, affiliate clicks, EPC, conversion rate, and last update date. We call it a money page map.
Keep slugs the same where possible. If the old URL is /best-ai-writing-tools/, the new WordPress URL should stay the same. Less change means less redirect risk.
Use this quick scoring table before touching WordPress:
| Page type | Migration risk | Action before launch |
|---|---|---|
| Coupon pages | High | Keep URL, expiry fields, schema, CTA buttons, affiliate IDs |
| Review posts | High | Preserve headings, tables, images, FAQs, schema |
| Comparison pages | High | Check internal links, jump links, product boxes |
| Blog posts | Medium | Keep meta title, slug, image alt text |
| Legal pages | Medium | Recheck footer links and cookie text |
| Thin pages | Low | Merge, improve, or noindex if needed |
Pick WordPress Path by Current Platform
Your migration route depends on the current platform. Do not copy content blindly. Each CMS stores images, URLs, redirects, and metadata in different ways.
Migration moves every part of a site from an existing WordPress setup to WordPress.com hosting, while import brings only specific content such as posts or media.
Content-only import can move pages, posts, and media, while self-service migration can move content, media, plugins, and themes.
| Current platform | Best WordPress move | What needs extra care |
|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted WordPress | Migration plugin or WordPress.com service | Plugins, theme data, redirects, custom fields |
| Wix | Import plus manual rebuild | URL changes, image paths, forms |
| Squarespace | Import plus design rebuild | Gallery blocks, product pages, redirects |
| Shopify blog | Export content, rebuild affiliate pages | Product links, blog URLs, collection links |
| Static HTML site | Manual page rebuild | Metadata, internal links, media names |
| Custom CMS | CSV/XML export plus custom import | Taxonomies, schema, author data |
If your site already uses WordPress, use a staging copy first. If your site uses Wix, Squarespace, or static HTML, expect manual cleanup after import.
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Build a Pre-Migration SEO Vault
Before import starts, export everything. Do not trust memory. Affiliate sites have hidden parts that decide revenue.
Create one spreadsheet with:
WordPress Learn explains that WordPress export creates an XML file, also called WXR, containing posts, pages, comments, custom fields, categories, and tags.
It also notes that “All content” export can include posts, pages, comments, custom fields, terms, navigation menus, and custom posts.
For affiliate marketers, XML alone is not enough. Export tracking links from Pretty Links, ThirstyAffiliates, Lasso, AAWP, TablePress, product boxes, coupon plugins, and any shortlink tool.
Save screenshots of high-value pages. When design shifts, screenshots help you rebuild intent fast.
Set WordPress Before Import
Install WordPress on staging, not live domain. Keep staging blocked from Google with noindex. Later, remove noindex before launch.
Choose a light theme. For affiliate pages, speed and layout control matter more than heavy effects.
Kadence, GeneratePress, Blocksy, and clean block themes work well for review sites, coupon hubs, and SaaS roundups.
Install only core plugins first:
Avoid plugin stacking. Two schema plugins can create duplicate Article, FAQ, or Product markup. Two cache plugins can break buttons and tracking scripts.
Set permalinks before import. Most affiliate sites should use post name URLs. If an old site uses category paths, copy the same pattern unless you plan a full URL change.
Set core pages too. Add homepage, blog page, privacy policy, affiliate disclosure, contact page, and category hubs. Coupon and review pages need clear disclosure placement.
Import Content With Revenue Checks
Now import content in batches. Do not import 800 posts and check later. Move 20 to 50 pages first, test, then continue.
WordPress.com supports importing content from many platforms and advises checking export file type; XML files can use the default WordPress importer, while other HTML-based sites may need page-by-page recreation.
WordPress.com support for HTML-based sites says you can save pages locally, copy main text into new WordPress pages, then upload page images into Media Library.
For WordPress-to-WordPress moves, export posts, pages, custom fields, taxonomies, menus, and media. Then import with attachments enabled. After import, check media paths and featured images.
For affiliate sites, inspect these items after each batch:
Use search-replace for staging domain changes. Be careful with serialized data if you use page builders or custom fields.
Rebuild SEO Signals, Not Just Pages
A page is not migrated until search signals match or improve. Content alone does not protect rankings.
Check meta titles first. Affiliate pages often have CTR-driven wording such as “Best VPN Coupons” or “Top AI Tools Compared”. Keep winning titles close to old versions unless keyword intent has changed.
Move meta descriptions. They may not be direct ranking factors, but they affect click intent. Keep strong benefit copy.
Rebuild heading order. One H1, clear H2s, short H3s, and no empty headings. Avoid page-builder heading chaos.
Move schema with care. Review schema, FAQ schema, Article schema, Breadcrumb schema, and Product schema should match page purpose. Do not mark affiliate roundups as product pages unless page data supports it.
Rebuild internal links. Start with money pages. Add links from top traffic posts to new WordPress pages. Update old anchors with exact or partial match anchors where natural.
Redirect Map That Saves Rankings
Redirects decide migration success. One wrong redirect can send a high-value review page to homepage and kill relevance.
Build a redirect map with old URL, new URL, status, priority, and notes. Keep redirects one-to-one where possible.
Good examples:
| Old URL | New WordPress URL | Redirect type |
|---|---|---|
| /best-hosting-deals.html | /best-hosting-deals/ | 301 |
| /ai-tools-review | /ai-tools-review/ | 301 |
| /coupon/brand-name | /brand-name-coupon/ | 301 |
Bad redirect plan:
| Old URL | Bad target | Why it hurts |
|---|---|---|
| Product review page | Homepage | Search intent mismatch |
| Coupon page | Blog category | Affiliate clicks drop |
| Old comparison page | 404 | Backlinks lose value |
Use 301 redirects for permanent moves. Avoid chains like old URL to mid URL to final URL. One hop is cleaner.
Check these patterns:
Affiliate Tracking Must Survive
Affiliate marketers should test revenue paths before SEO crawls. A migration that keeps rankings but breaks links still loses money.
Audit every affiliate network link. Check direct links, cloaked links, button links, banner URLs, product cards, comparison tables, coupon boxes, and exit-intent popups.
If you use link cloaking, export all links before migration. Reimport them into WordPress. Match old shortlink paths if users or Google already see them.
Example:
| Old shortlink | New shortlink | Action |
|---|---|---|
| /go/brand/ | /go/brand/ | Keep same |
| /recommend/tool/ | /recommend/tool/ | Keep same |
| /out/deal/ | /go/deal/ | Add 301 redirect |
Test with real clicks. Open page, click CTA, confirm network dashboard registers click. Do not rely only on page source.
Also check consent tools. Cookie banners can block analytics or affiliate scripts if settings change.
Speed, UX, and Mobile Checks
Many migrations fail because the new WordPress layout looks better but loads slower. Affiliate pages need speed because buyers compare fast.
Keep pages lean. Compress images. Use WebP or AVIF if your stack supports it. Lazy-load below-fold media. Avoid ten font files and heavy sliders.
Review pages need clear scan paths:
Test mobile first. Most affiliate traffic can come from mobile search, social, email, or push. If tables overflow, buttons hide, or coupon boxes break, fix before launch.
Check Core Web Vitals after staging and again after launch. Compare old sites and new WordPress pages. Faster is not only good for SEO; it improves click flow.
Launch Day Order
Launch should be boring. If launch feels exciting, you missed prep.
Use this order:
WordPress.com says its Migrate to WordPress.com plugin helps move self-hosted WordPress sites to WordPress.com, and most sites migrate in less than 10 minutes. WordPress.com also says its team can handle migration and guide domain connection after completion.
Do not launch late Friday unless your team can fix issues over the weekend. Pick low-traffic hours. Keep old hosting active for at least two weeks.
After Launch: First 30 Days
Search traffic may move a little after migration. Your job is to keep issues small and fix them fast.
Check Search Console daily for the first week. Watch indexing, 404s, soft 404s, redirect errors, canonical changes, mobile issues, and sitemap status.
Track affiliate clicks daily too. Compare top pages against the same weekday before launch. If traffic is stable but clicks drop, page layout or link tracking likely changed.
Run a crawl after launch and compare against pre-migration crawl. Find missing titles, duplicate H1s, broken internal links, noindex tags, bad canonicals, and redirect chains.
Use server logs if available. Googlebot should land on the final 200 URLs, not bounce through many redirects.
Update backlinks where possible. Reach out to partners, guest post editors, SaaS brands, and directory listings. Ask them to change old URLs to new WordPress URLs.
Maven Migration Checklist
Use this checklist before publishing a new WordPress site live.
| Task | Done |
|---|---|
| Full URL crawl exported | ☐ |
| Top revenue pages marked | ☐ |
| Affiliate links exported | ☐ |
| Meta titles and descriptions saved | ☐ |
| Redirect map created | ☐ |
| WordPress staging built | ☐ |
| Permalink format set | ☐ |
| Content imported in batches | ☐ |
| Media and alt text checked | ☐ |
| Schema rebuilt | ☐ |
| Internal links updated | ☐ |
| Coupon boxes tested | ☐ |
| Product tables checked on mobile | ☐ |
| Analytics and pixels installed | ☐ |
| Robots.txt checked | ☐ |
| XML sitemap created | ☐ |
| 301 redirects tested | ☐ |
| DNS launch done in low-traffic slot | ☐ |
| Search Console monitored | ☐ |
| Affiliate clicks compared | ☐ |
Final WordPress Migration Plan
A safe WordPress migration starts with revenue pages, not design. Audit URLs, protect slugs, move content in batches, map redirects, rebuild SEO data, and test affiliate clicks before DNS changes.
For affiliate sites, success means rankings stay stable, links keep paying, and WordPress gives faster publishing for reviews, coupons, comparisons, and product updates. Keep your WordPress migration guide close, test each page like money depends on it, because it does.
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