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How to Recover SEO Traffic Dropped Due to .bank.in Domain Migration
Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) mandated that all Indian banks and financial institutions move their websites to a more secure domain extension: .bank.in. While this transition is a step forward in terms of digital trust and security, many financial organizations have observed a sudden decline in their organic traffic after the migration.
If you are experiencing the same, this blog will help you understand the reason behind the drop, why the migration is required, its impact on SEO performance, and most importantly, how to recover the lost traffic through a structured SEO audit and proven best practices.
What is the .bank.in Migration?
The .bank.in domain is a secure, RBI-approved domain namespace specifically created for Indian banking and financial institutions. It is designed to prevent phishing and fraud while offering users a clear sign of authenticity when interacting with a bank's online platform.
For example, a domain like:
www.examplebank.com
has now moved to:
www.examplebank.bank.in
This migration involves shifting all digital properties, including websites, customer portals, and even marketing landing pages, to the new .bank.in domain. While the objective is to enhance security, such a change can temporarily disrupt search engine performance if not handled carefully.
Why is the .bank.in Migration Required?
The migration has been mandated by the Reserve Bank of India as part of its broader digital security and compliance guidelines. There are several reasons behind this directive:
From a cybersecurity and compliance standpoint, this shift is essential. However, it needs to be executed with a comprehensive SEO strategy in place to avoid the loss of organic visibility.
How Does the Migration Impact SEO Traffic?
When a domain is changed, even for the right reasons, there is always a risk to search engine rankings and traffic. If the migration is not handled carefully, you may notice:
These impacts are temporary in nature, but only if the migration is handled with a data-driven SEO recovery plan.
How to Recover SEO Traffic After .bank.in Migration
The best way to start recovering lost SEO traffic is by conducting a comprehensive SEO audit. This audit helps identify technical gaps, content issues, and redirect problems that may have resulted in the traffic drop.
1. Perform an complete Audit
As part of the domain migration to
.bank.in, it’s important to go beyond just checking a few URLs. We recommend a full SEO audit to ensure everything transitions smoothly. This means making sure all old URLs are properly redirected to their new.bank.inversions using permanent 301 redirects—each old page should lead directly to its exact new match.But it shouldn’t stop there. We'll also review things like crawlability, indexation, canonical tags, internal links, and structured data. The goal is to preserve your site's search performance and avoid any drop in visibility during the move.
2. Identify Crawl Errors
Use tools like Google Search Console, Screaming Frog, or Ahrefs to detect broken links, pages with errors, or redirect loops. Resolving these quickly will help search engines recrawl and index your new domain faster.
3. Review Index Coverage
Compare the number of indexed pages before and after migration. Ensure that key pages, including service pages, blog content, and product landing pages, are included in Google’s index under the new domain.
4. Audit Backlink Health
Analyze backlinks pointing to the old domain and make sure those links are being passed correctly through redirects. Where possible, request top referring websites to update their links to the .bank.in version.
5. Track Keyword and Traffic Performance
Monitor performance in Google Analytics and Google Search Console. Compare keyword rankings and traffic data before and after the migration to identify the most affected areas.
Best Practices to Recover SEO Performance
Implementing the right practices post-migration can significantly speed up recovery. Here are some of the most effective ones:
Ensure Proper Use of 301 Redirects
Every old URL must be permanently redirected to the matching new URL. Avoid redirecting everything to the homepage, as that will dilute user experience and SEO value.
Update All Internal Links and Canonical Tags
Ensure that all internal links, including those in navigation menus, footers, and body content, point to the .bank.in domain. Canonical tags must also reflect the new URLs.
Submit Updated Sitemaps
Create a fresh XML sitemap with the new .bank.in URLs and submit it in Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools. This will guide search engines to crawl and index your updated pages faster.
Update Robots.txt and hreflang Tags
Review your robots.txt file to make sure it is not blocking important sections of the site. Also, update any hreflang tags if you have a multilingual or multi-regional website.
Refresh and Re-optimize Content
Identify high-value pages that have lost traffic and rework their content to improve relevance and keyword coverage. This will help in regaining lost positions in the search results.
Monitor Regularly in Search Console
Continue monitoring Google Search Console for any crawl errors, indexing issues, or sudden drops in impressions. Use the URL Inspection tool to request indexing for updated pages.
Update External Listings
Ensure that all local directories, business listings, partner websites, and digital campaigns reflect the new .bank.in domain. This helps prevent confusion and improves link accuracy.
The .bank.in domain migration is a progressive move toward safer online banking experiences. However, it comes with temporary challenges in the form of SEO disruption. With the right technical setup and a well-structured SEO recovery plan, you can regain your lost visibility and even strengthen your long-term search performance.
If you are unsure where to begin, start with an SEO audit focused on redirects, indexing, and content gaps. This audit will act as the foundation for all recovery efforts.
At DWAO, we work closely with regulated sectors such as BFSI to ensure that domain migrations are smooth and SEO-friendly. Whether you are planning a migration or dealing with a post-migration traffic drop, our team can help you build a tailored recovery roadmap using advanced tools, analytics, and proven SEO strategies.
Feel free to reach out to us if you need assistance with your .bank.in SEO recovery.