Outgrowing Blogger or Wix and moving to WordPress is a big jump — better control, more features, real SEO, no platform lock-in. Done carelessly, the migration can crater your traffic. Done carefully, you keep your SEO and gain everything WordPress offers. This post is the careful path.

Short answer: Pick host and install WordPress. Export from Blogger (built-in) or Wix (manual or RSS-based). Import into WordPress. Set up redirects from old URLs to new URLs (critical for SEO). Update internal links. Submit new sitemap to Google. Expect 4–12 weeks for Google to fully re-index.
A migration workflow diagram: Blogger/Wix on the left, redirects in the middle, WordPress on the right

Why people migrate

  • Full control over the site (no platform limits).
  • Better SEO capabilities.
  • Plugin ecosystem.
  • Monetization flexibility.
  • Ability to grow without platform constraints.
  • Own the data, not the platform.

Before you start

  1. Backup everything. Export your current site. Save images locally. Don’t trust anything to “be available later.”
  2. Pick a host. Shared starter: SiteGround, Bluehost, A2 Hosting. Managed: WP Engine, Kinsta.
  3. Pick a domain strategy. Keeping the same domain (recommended) or moving to a new one (more work).
  4. Plan downtime. Small downtime is unavoidable. Schedule for low-traffic times.

Migrating from Blogger

Step 1: Export Blogger content

Blogger dashboard → Settings → “Back up content.” Downloads XML file with all posts, pages, comments.

Step 2: Install WordPress

On your new host. Most one-click install. Set up basic settings (site title, permalinks).

Step 3: Import to WordPress

WordPress admin → Tools → Import → install “Blogger Importer” plugin → run import. Upload your Blogger XML.

Imports posts, pages, comments. Featured images may need manual reattachment.

Step 4: Set permalinks to match Blogger structure

Critical for SEO. Blogger URLs look like:

blogname.blogspot.com/YYYY/MM/post-slug.html

WordPress default permalinks don’t match.

In WordPress: Settings → Permalinks → Custom Structure: /%year%/%monthnum%/%postname%.html

This makes new URLs match the old pattern (mostly).

Step 5: Redirect blogspot.com to your new domain

If you used a custom domain on Blogger (yourdomain.com pointing to Blogger), updating DNS to point to your new WordPress host handles most of this.

If you used blogspot.com URLs, install a Blogger-to-WordPress redirect template inside Blogger (Settings → Search preferences → Custom Redirects, or theme HTML edit). Many migration guides provide template code.

Step 6: Check images and links

Blogger image URLs may not import. Run a broken-link checker (Broken Link Checker plugin). Fix or replace broken images.

Migrating from Wix

Wix migration is harder because Wix doesn’t offer a clean export.

Option 1: RSS-based import

Wix sites have an RSS feed at yourdomain.com/blog-feed.xml or similar.

Install WordPress’s RSS Importer or a plugin like CMS2CMS. Imports recent posts via RSS.

Downsides: RSS limited to recent posts (often last 25 or so). Older posts get lost.

Option 2: Manual export

Copy each post manually. Painful for large blogs. Realistic only for small ones.

Option 3: Migration service

CMS2CMS and similar services automate Wix-to-WordPress migration for a fee ($50–$200 depending on size).

Worth considering for blogs with 50+ posts.

Option 4: Wix Migration Plugin

The “WordPress Importer” + scraping tools can extract from Wix’s public pages. Several guides explain custom scripts.

Technical. Worth it if you have many posts and want full control.

The SEO part (the most important part)

Without proper redirects, you lose every backlink and Google ranking.

Map old URLs to new URLs

Export your old URLs (Screaming Frog free crawls up to 500 URLs).

List every old URL and what new URL it should redirect to.

Example:

  • oldsite.com/2022/03/post-name.html → newsite.com/post-name/
  • oldsite.com/about → newsite.com/about/

Implement 301 redirects

301 = permanent redirect. Google passes link equity through 301s.

Options:

  • Redirection plugin (free WordPress plugin) — manage redirects from WP admin.
  • Rank Math Redirections module.
  • .htaccess (Apache) or nginx config — for high performance.

Test redirects: enter old URL, verify it 301s to new URL.

WordPress redirections plugin interface showing list of old-to-new URL mappings

Internal link updates

After migration, all your internal links may still point to old URLs.

Run a search/replace via:

  • Better Search Replace plugin.
  • WP-CLI: wp search-replace 'old-url' 'new-url'

Update everything: post content, menus, widgets, theme settings.

Sitemap submission

Install Yoast or Rank Math. Confirm sitemap is generated.

Submit new sitemap URL (yourdomain.com/sitemap_index.xml) in Google Search Console.

If you had Search Console verified for the old site, the property may transfer. If domain changed, register the new property.

Domain handling

Same domain (recommended)

Update DNS to point to new host. Both Blogger and Wix can be replaced under the same domain.

Easier SEO recovery. Backlinks pointing to the same domain just work.

New domain

Set up 301 redirects from old domain to new domain at the DNS / host level (or via the old platform’s redirect feature).

Slower SEO recovery. Backlinks now point to old domain that redirects.

Image migration

Images are often the trickiest part.

Blogger: images hosted by Google. May or may not import properly. The Auto Upload Images plugin can pull external images into your WordPress media library.

Wix: images hosted by Wix. Same approach.

After migration, verify featured images are set correctly per post.

Theme and design

Your new WordPress site won’t look identical to the old one. You’re picking a new theme.

Don’t try to match old design exactly. Use migration as an opportunity to refresh.

Pick a fast, well-supported theme. Configure it before promoting the new site.

Testing before going live

Migration steps:

  1. Build new WordPress site (with imported content) on a staging URL (e.g., new.yourdomain.com or via host’s staging environment).
  2. Test all pages.
  3. Test redirects you’ll set up.
  4. When ready, switch DNS to new server.
  5. Set up redirects immediately after DNS switch.
  6. Submit new sitemap.

Post-migration checklist

  • All posts and pages imported.
  • All featured images attached.
  • Internal links updated.
  • 301 redirects from all important old URLs.
  • Sitemap submitted to Google.
  • Google Analytics configured for new site.
  • SSL certificate active (HTTPS).
  • Permalinks set correctly.
  • SEO plugin configured.
  • Backup configured.

What to expect after migration

  • Traffic dip: usually 2–8 weeks of reduced traffic as Google re-indexes. Recovery follows if redirects are correct.
  • Search Console errors: monitor for unredirected 404s and crawl errors.
  • Comments may migrate or may not — Blogger comments do via importer; Wix comments often don’t.

Common pitfalls

  • Skipping redirects = traffic loss.
  • Not updating internal links = broken internal navigation.
  • Forgetting to verify Search Console.
  • Letting the old site go dark before redirects are in place.
  • Changing permalink structure without redirects.

Hiring help

For blogs with significant traffic or many posts, hiring a migration specialist is worth it. Cost: $200–$2000 depending on complexity.

Find on Upwork, freelance communities, or hire a WordPress agency.

The honest summary

Migration from Blogger or Wix to WordPress is doable but requires careful planning. The SEO part — 301 redirects from old URLs — is what makes or breaks the migration. Use the platform-specific importer or a paid migration service. Test on staging before going live. Submit a new sitemap and monitor Search Console for weeks afterward. Expect 4–12 weeks for full recovery. Done right, migration unlocks growth potential the original platform couldn’t deliver.