SEO SITE MIGRATION AND 404 REDIRECTS IN GOOGLE SHEETS
Handling an SEO site migration or fixing 404 errors are critical tasks that often involve creating a comprehensive redirect map. This guide will walk you through using Flookup in Google Sheets to manage this process, offering a powerful alternative to the traditional Excel Fuzzy Lookup method.
Mapping URLs for Site Migrations and 404s
Whether you are moving to a new domain or cleaning up broken links, you need to match old URLs to their new counterparts accurately. An incorrect redirect map can lead to lost traffic and a poor user experience. For years, SEOs have used the Fuzzy Lookup add-in for Excel, but this approach has its drawbacks.
Flookup Data Wrangler Versus Excel Fuzzy Lookup
| Feature | Flookup in Google Sheets | Excel Fuzzy Lookup |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Cloud-based Google Sheets | Desktop Windows Only |
| URL Cleaning | Advanced for example remove punctuations or diacritics | Basic |
| URL Parsing | Built-in, for example get domain or get path | Manual Formulas Required |
| AI Features | Intelligent Mode for complex tasks | None |
| Workflow | Integrated within Google Sheets | Requires data export/import |
Why Flookup is the Best Excel Fuzzy Lookup Alternative
Flookup's "Standardize Data" feature is designed for the complexities of modern SEO. It provides a full suite of tools to clean, normalize and prepare your URLs for a highly accurate fuzzy match, all without leaving Google Sheets.
Advanced URL Standardization Tools
- Isolate URL Components for Better Matching:
- Keep URL domain only: Simplify your URLs to their root domain.
- Keep URL path only: Focus your matching efforts on the most important part of the URL.
- Deep Clean Your URL Slugs:
- Remove punctuation marks: Get rid of special characters that can throw off a fuzzy match.
- Remove unwanted words: Strip out generic words to focus on core keywords.
- Remove diacritical marks: Standardize international URLs for consistent matching.
A Step-by-Step Flookup Workflow for Your Redirect Map
- Prepare Your Data: In a new Google Sheet, paste your old URLs into Column A (e.g., from a site crawl or Google Search Console's 404 report) and your new URLs into Column B.
- Clean and Standardize URLs: To ensure the most accurate match, isolate the meaningful parts of your URLs. In Column C, use the formula
=NORMALIZE(A2,,"path")to extract just the path from the old URL. In Column D, do the same for the new URLs with=NORMALIZE(B2,,"path"). This removes protocol and domain noise. - Perform the Fuzzy Match: Now, match the cleaned old paths to the cleaned new paths. In Column E, enter the
=FLOOKUP()formula. For example:=FLOOKUP(C2, $D$2:$D$1000, 1, FALSE, 0.8). This formula looks for the value in C2 within the cleaned new paths (D2:D1000) and returns the best match with at least 80% similarity. - Retrieve the Full New URL: The previous step gives you the matched *path*. To get the full, final URL for your redirect map, use a standard
VLOOKUP. In Column F, use a formula like=VLOOKUP(E2, D:B, 2, FALSE)to find the matched path from column E in your cleaned new path list (Column D) and return the corresponding original full URL from Column B. - Review and Export: You now have your original old URLs in Column A and their best-matched new URLs in Column F. Manually review this list for accuracy. Once satisfied, you have a clean, two-column redirect map ready to be implemented in your
.htaccessfile or server configuration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Flookup better than Excel Fuzzy Lookup for SEO?
Flookup offers a more comprehensive and integrated solution for SEOs using Google Sheets. With advanced URL cleaning and parsing features, it is a superior alternative for creating accurate redirect maps.
Can I use Flookup to fix 404 errors?
Yes. You can paste a list of your 404 URLs and a list of your live URLs into Google Sheets and then use Flookup to find the best match for each broken link.
Do I need to be a data expert to use Flookup?
No. Flookup is designed to be user-friendly, with a clear interface and straightforward functions that guide you through the process of cleaning and matching your data.
Conclusion
For any SEO professional working in Google Sheets, Flookup is the clear choice for managing site migrations and 404 redirects. Its powerful data standardization and fuzzy matching capabilities save time, reduce errors and help you protect your website's hard-earned SEO value.