The verdict in three sentences
A successful migration is not a technical project, it is a disguised SEO project: 80% of post-migration traffic drops come from missing or chained redirects, not from the design. In 2026, budget EUR 3,000 to 8,000 for a managed migration plan (audit, URL mapping, 301 redirects, 90-day monitoring) for a scope of 200 to 2,000 URLs. A reasonable contractual target: under 5% organic traffic loss at 90 days, fully recovered or exceeded by month six.
Why a migration goes wrong (and what it costs)
The causes of SEO loss are well known and avoidable. The real financial risk is not the service fee: it is the lost traffic. A B2B site in Dublin generating 40 leads/month organically and losing 30% of traffic for 3 months loses 36 leads — at an average lead value of EUR 300, that is EUR 10,800 of pipeline gone, far more than the cost of the audit.
| Loss cause | Frequency | Traffic impact | Fix cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missing 301 redirects | Very common | -20 to -50% | Included in plan |
| Redirect chains (3+ hops) | Common | -5 to -15% | EUR 500-1,500 |
| Lost meta/hreflang tags | Common | -10 to -25% | EUR 800-2,000 |
| Forgotten robots.txt/noindex block | Occasional | -60 to -100% | Emergency, EUR 1,000 |
| Broken URL structure, no mapping | Common | -30 to -60% | EUR 2,000-4,000 |
| Speed loss (Core Web Vitals) | Occasional | -5 to -15% | EUR 1,500-4,000 |
The pre / post-migration checklist
A serious plan breaks into three phases: before (freeze + mapping), cutover (redirects + verification), after (90-day monitoring). The 2-week content freeze before cutover avoids creating orphan URLs during mapping.
| Step | Phase | Timeline | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full crawl + URL export | Pre | Week 1 | Inventory of 200-2,000 URLs |
| Old -> new URL mapping | Pre | Week 2-3 | 1:1 correspondence table |
| Content freeze | Pre | 2 weeks | No new URLs |
| Deployment + bulk 301s | Cutover | Day 0 | Live redirects |
| Test 301, hreflang, sitemap | Cutover | Day+1 | Compliance report |
| Submit sitemap to Search Console | Post | Day+2 | Re-indexing triggered |
| Track 500 keyword positions | Post | 90 days | Weekly dashboard |
Typical overall timeline: 4 to 8 weeks depending on site size and destination CMS complexity.
Mini case study
Thomas, digital lead at a B2B software vendor in Dublin, migrates from WordPress to a headless stack: 1,400 URLs, organic traffic of 22,000 visits/month. Migration plan budget: EUR 6,200. Without a plan, a typical 35% loss over 3 months would have cost roughly 23,100 cumulative lost visits; at a 2% conversion rate and EUR 300 lead value, that put EUR 13,800 of pipeline at risk. Actual result at 90 days: -4% traffic, up to +6% by month five. Plan ROI: positive from month two.
FAQ
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What does an SEO migration plan cost in Dublin in 2026?
Between EUR 3,000 and 8,000 for 200 to 2,000 URLs, including audit, mapping, 301 redirects and 90-day monitoring. Above 5,000 URLs (e-commerce, media), budget EUR 10,000 to 20,000.
How long before traffic recovers?
A temporary 5 to 15% dip over 2 to 6 weeks is normal. A proper plan restores traffic to its baseline within 60 to 90 days and often exceeds it by month six thanks to performance gains.
Do we really need a 2-week content freeze?
Yes: publishing new URLs during mapping creates un-redirected orphans. A 2-week freeze secures the mapping table and cuts error risk by roughly 30%.
Are 301 redirects permanent?
Keep them live for at least 12 months, ideally permanently. Google can take 3 to 6 months to transfer all authority; removing 301s too early recreates 404s and losses.
Can we migrate with zero loss?
Zero loss is unrealistic as a commitment; a few percent of fluctuation is unavoidable. The realistic, measurable commitment is under 5% loss at 90 days, achievable with rigorous 1:1 mapping.
Let's scope your project. Send us your URL volume and target CMS and we will define scope, indicative budget and timeline. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
