Switching From Scorpion: Keep Your Domain and Protect Your Rankings

Short answer

You can switch website providers and keep your domain if your firm controls it or can transfer control. Your search rankings may change during a migration, but careful preparation can help preserve the pages, links, and information that matter. Before ending your Scorpion arrangement, confirm your access, save a copy of your website content, and prepare redirects from old page addresses to relevant new pages. No migration plan can promise unchanged rankings.

Confirm who controls your domain

A domain is the address people type to reach your website. Website hosting is where the site’s files live. Those are separate services, even when one provider manages both.

Find out which registrar holds your domain and whose account controls it. Check the registration details and ask Scorpion what access or steps your firm needs to manage or transfer the domain. Do not assume that paying for a website means your firm has direct registrar access.

Before making changes, secure the following:

1. The registrar name and account login, or a clear process for getting authorized access.
2. The domain’s renewal date and payment method.
3. Any domain transfer authorization code, if a transfer is needed.
4. Access to DNS settings, which direct the domain to the right website and email services.
5. A current list of business email accounts and services connected to the domain.

A domain transfer is not always required. If your firm can manage its DNS, it may be possible to keep the domain at its current registrar and point it to the new site. Coordinate changes carefully: incorrect DNS settings can interrupt both the website and email.

Review your current agreement and account terms before changing providers. Confirm any notice requirements, cancellation steps, export options, and responsibilities for the domain. If you cannot verify ownership or access, get the situation clarified before setting a launch date.

Protect the pages that bring in visitors

Search engines index individual pages, not just a website’s home page. A practice-area page, attorney biography, or location page may attract visitors and links. Replacing those pages with a single new home page can make it harder for visitors and search engines to find relevant information.

Make an inventory before the old site changes. Include each page’s current address, page title, main topic, and whether it should remain, be updated, or be retired. Review available analytics and search performance data to identify pages that receive visits, inquiries, or links.

Keep useful content accurate and recognizable. A redesign is a chance to improve unclear or outdated pages, but avoid changing every page’s subject and address at the same time without a plan.

Map old URLs to the new site

When a page’s address changes, set up a permanent redirect from the old address to the closest relevant new page. For example, an old /family-law page should point to the new family-law page, not automatically to the home page. If there is no suitable replacement, decide what visitors should see rather than sending every retired URL to one unrelated destination.

Create a redirect map before launch. Include the old URL, the new URL, and the action for each page. Check that redirects work after launch and do not create chains, loops, or errors. Keep the old domain active and renew it; redirects cannot help if the old address stops resolving.

Update internal links on the new site so they lead directly to current pages. Also update the website address in important business profiles and directories your firm controls. These updates help clients reach the right site and reduce dependence on redirects over time.

Monitor the migration after launch

A new site can take time to be crawled and indexed. Watch for changes rather than assuming that a ranking shift means the migration failed. Use Google Search Console and your analytics platform, if available, to check indexing, clicks, traffic, and errors.

After launch, review:

• Whether the domain loads securely and the preferred version works, including redirects between www and non-www versions if applicable.
• Whether important old URLs redirect to the correct new pages.
• Whether key pages are accessible to search engines and appear in the new sitemap.
• Search Console reports for indexing issues, crawl errors, and changes in search performance.
• Website forms, phone links, email links, and analytics events from a user’s perspective.

Compare performance over time and account for normal variation. If an important page disappears from search, check its redirect, indexability, content, and links before making more changes. Keep a record of what was changed and when, so you can identify likely causes.

What to do next

1. Ask Scorpion for domain, DNS, content, and analytics access details, and confirm your firm’s rights under its agreement.
2. Export or document current pages, traffic data, forms, and tracking before the existing site is taken down.
3. Choose the new provider and agree on who will configure DNS, redirects, forms, and analytics.
4. Test the new site and redirect map before launch, then monitor Search Console and analytics afterward.

If you are comparing providers, review the comparison pages and check the pricing before choosing a migration plan. LegalWebDesigns offers a law firm website with $0 setup and $49 per month, including domain, hosting, and SSL; there are no contracts, and the firm owns its site and data. Confirm the migration scope and access arrangements with any provider before launch.