How to Switch from AIOSEO to Prime SEO (Complete Migration Guide)

All in One SEO has been around since 2007. It was one of the first WordPress SEO plugins ever built, and millions of sites still run it today. It is reliable. It does the job.

But the job has changed. Roughly 30% of search queries now touch an AI-powered engine -- ChatGPT Search, Perplexity, Google's AI Overviews, Claude. AIOSEO was designed for a world where Google bots were the only crawlers that mattered. It has no llms.txt support, no AI bots manager, and no way to see which AI crawlers are visiting your site.

If you want a plugin built for where search is going -- not just where it has been -- here is how to migrate everything from AIOSEO to Prime SEO. The whole process takes about 2 minutes.

What Gets Migrated from AIOSEO

Prime SEO reads AIOSEO's data from two sources: the aioseo_posts custom database table (where AIOSEO stores its per-post data) and standard WordPress post meta. Here is the full list.

Post and Page Data

• SEO titles -- custom title tags for every post, page, and custom post type
• Meta descriptions -- your hand-crafted descriptions
• Focus keywords -- both primary and additional keywords (AIOSEO stores these as _aioseo_keywords)
• Canonical URLs -- custom canonical tags
• Robots meta -- noindex and nofollow settings per post
• Open Graph title and description -- Facebook sharing data
• Open Graph image -- custom images set for social sharing
• Twitter Card title and description -- Twitter-specific overrides
• Twitter Card image -- custom Twitter images

Term Meta

Category and tag SEO data also migrates. If you have set custom SEO titles or descriptions for your categories in AIOSEO, those come over to Prime SEO.

Redirect Rules

If you are using AIOSEO Pro's Redirection Manager, those rules transfer too. Prime SEO reads from AIOSEO's aioseo_redirects database table and imports source URLs, target URLs, and redirect types. Duplicates are automatically skipped.

Global Settings

Homepage title template, meta description template, and title separator all migrate. AIOSEO's template variables get automatically converted -- for example, #site_title becomes {site_title} and #post_title becomes {title}.

Step-by-Step Migration

Step 1: Install Prime SEO Alongside AIOSEO

Go to Plugins > Add New, search for "Prime SEO", and install it. Activate it.

Keep AIOSEO active for now. Prime SEO reads from AIOSEO's database tables during migration, and it works regardless of whether AIOSEO is active or not. But leaving it active means you can compare output side by side before committing.

Step 2: Navigate to Prime SEO > Migration

In your WordPress admin, go to Prime SEO > Migration. The migration tool scans your database for known SEO plugin data. It checks for AIOSEO's option key (aioseo_options) and its custom aioseo_posts table.

If AIOSEO data exists, you will see a blue-accented card for "All in One SEO" with the number of posts and redirects available for import.

Step 3: Select "All in One SEO" as Source

Click the AIOSEO card to see a preview. The tool queries your database and tells you exactly what will be imported:

• Posts: Number of posts/pages with SEO data in the aioseo_posts table
• Terms: Number of categories/tags with SEO data
• Redirects: Number of redirect rules (AIOSEO Pro only)

This is a read-only preview. Nothing changes until you explicitly start the migration.

Step 4: Click "Start Migration"

Hit the button. Prime SEO processes your data in the following order:

1. Creates a full backup of your current Prime SEO settings
2. Reads each row from the aioseo_posts table
3. Converts template variables to Prime SEO format
4. Writes the data as WordPress post meta (_prime_seo_title, _prime_seo_description, etc.)
5. Imports term meta for categories and tags
6. Imports global settings (homepage title, description, separator)
7. Imports redirect rules (if available)

AIOSEO stores data differently than most plugins -- it uses its own database table (aioseo_posts) rather than standard WordPress post meta. Prime SEO's migration tool handles this automatically. You do not need to do anything special.

Step 5: Spot-Check 5 Posts and 2 Pages

Open at least 5 posts and 2 pages in the WordPress editor. Scroll to the Prime SEO meta box and verify:

• SEO title matches what AIOSEO showed
• Meta description is intact
• Focus keyword transferred
• Open Graph data looks correct
• Robots settings (noindex/nofollow) are preserved

Pay special attention to posts where you used AIOSEO template variables. Confirm they converted correctly -- for example, #post_title #separator_sa #site_title should now appear as {title} {separator} {site_title}.

Step 6: Deactivate AIOSEO

Once your spot-check passes, go to Plugins > Installed Plugins and deactivate All in One SEO. Do not delete it yet -- wait until you have verified the front end.

Step 7: Verify Sitemaps and Schema Output

Check these on the live site:

• XML Sitemap: Visit yoursite.com/sitemap.xml -- Prime SEO's sitemap should now be active
• Schema markup: View source on any post, search for ld+json -- you should see Article and Organization schema from Prime SEO
• Meta tags: View source on a few pages, confirm <title> and <meta name="description"> are populated correctly
• Redirects: If you imported redirects, test 2-3 by visiting the source URLs

If everything looks right, the migration is complete.

What You Gain with Prime SEO

Switching is not just about a different interface. There are genuine capabilities you get with Prime SEO that AIOSEO does not offer at any price tier.

AI Settings: LLMs.txt, AI Bots Manager, AI Crawler Stats

This is the headline difference. Prime SEO includes a dedicated AI Settings module with three features:

LLMs.txt generates a curated, machine-readable summary of your site for AI models. When ChatGPT or Perplexity crawls your site, this file tells them what your site is about and which pages matter most. AIOSEO has no equivalent.

AI Bots Manager gives you granular control over 16 AI crawlers -- GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, Google-Extended, Bytespider, and more. Allow, block, or customize access rules for each one. AIOSEO's robots.txt editor can block bots manually, but it does not have a dedicated interface for AI crawlers.

AI Crawler Stats logs which AI bots visit your site, how often, and which pages they request. This is data you cannot get from Google Analytics or Search Console. AIOSEO does not track AI bot activity.

All three features are included in Prime SEO's free version.

Lighter Footprint

This one is measurable. AIOSEO's plugin directory is over 30MB. The Pro version is larger. Prime SEO is under 2MB.

That is not just a vanity metric. Smaller plugin size means faster deployment, faster updates, and less impact on shared hosting environments where disk space and I/O matter. If you are running a site on budget hosting, every megabyte counts.

No Upsell Screens

AIOSEO is known for aggressive in-admin upselling. Almost every settings panel shows locked Pro features with upgrade prompts. Prime SEO shows what is available and what is PRO, but it does not insert banners, modals, or fake feature previews into your workflow.

What You Might Miss (and Workarounds)

Fair is fair. AIOSEO has features that Prime SEO does not replicate 1:1. Here is what to be aware of.

AIOSEO's Link Assistant

AIOSEO Pro includes an internal linking tool that suggests link opportunities. Prime SEO does not have a built-in link assistant. Workaround: use a dedicated internal linking plugin like Link Whisper or manage internal links manually. For most sites with under 200 posts, manual linking works fine.

AIOSEO's Local SEO Module

AIOSEO Pro's Local SEO module generates LocalBusiness schema with multiple locations, opening hours, and map embeds. Prime SEO's Schema module covers LocalBusiness schema at the site level -- organization name, address, phone, logo. For multi-location businesses, you may need a dedicated local SEO solution.

AIOSEO's Video Sitemap

AIOSEO Pro generates video sitemaps for embedded YouTube and Vimeo content. Prime SEO PRO ($59/year) includes the same feature -- Video Sitemap module with auto-detection of embedded videos. This is not available in Prime SEO Free.

AIOSEO's WooCommerce Integration

AIOSEO has deep WooCommerce integration with product schema, pricing markup, and review stars. Prime SEO's meta box works on product pages and products appear in the sitemap, but product-specific schema (Price, Availability, AggregateRating) is on the roadmap, not shipped yet.

AIOSEO's Image SEO

Both plugins have image SEO features. AIOSEO's version auto-generates alt text and title attributes with template variables. Prime SEO's Image SEO module does the same -- auto-fills alt text using post title, image filename, and custom templates.

Why the AIOSEO Table Matters

A quick technical note for the curious. Unlike Yoast and Rank Math, which store SEO data as standard WordPress post meta, AIOSEO created its own custom database table (wp_aioseo_posts). This is why you cannot just switch plugins and have data carry over automatically -- most plugins only read from wp_postmeta.

Prime SEO's migration tool specifically queries the aioseo_posts table, reads each row, and writes the data as standard WordPress post meta. This means even if you later switch away from Prime SEO, your data is stored in the standard WordPress way -- not locked in a proprietary table.

Post-Migration Checklist

Run through this list before you call the migration done:

• SEO titles present on 5+ posts (view page source, check <title> tag)
• Meta descriptions in <meta name="description"> tags
• Template variables converted correctly (no leftover #post_title or #site_title syntax)
• XML sitemap loads at yoursite.com/sitemap.xml
• Schema markup outputs as JSON-LD (view source, search for ld+json)
• Redirect rules functional (test 2-3 source URLs)
• Open Graph tags work (paste a URL into Facebook's Sharing Debugger)
• No PHP errors in your site's debug log
• AIOSEO safely deactivated

What to Do After Migration

With the basics covered, set up the features that made you switch in the first place:

1. Generate LLMs.txt -- go to Prime SEO > AI Settings and create your llms.txt file. This takes 30 seconds. Full setup guide.
2. Configure AI Bots Manager -- review the list of 16 AI crawlers and decide which ones get access to your content.
3. Monitor AI Crawler Stats -- check back after a week to see which AI bots are discovering your site.
4. Set up Instant Indexing -- submit key URLs to IndexNow for faster crawling by Bing, Yandex, and participating search engines.
5. Review Schema settings -- make sure your Organization or Person schema is configured under Prime SEO > Schema Markup.

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FAQ

Does switching from AIOSEO to Prime SEO hurt my Google rankings?

No. The migration transfers your exact SEO titles, meta descriptions, canonical URLs, and robots meta. Google sees identical HTML output before and after. Rankings are determined by your content and meta tags, not by which plugin generates them.

Can I migrate from AIOSEO even if I already deactivated it?

Yes. AIOSEO stores its data in a custom database table (wp_aioseo_posts) that persists even after the plugin is deactivated or deleted. As long as that table exists in your database, Prime SEO's migration tool can read from it.

What happens to AIOSEO's data after migration?

Nothing. Prime SEO does not modify or delete AIOSEO's database tables. Your original data stays intact in wp_aioseo_posts. If you ever want to switch back, just reinstall AIOSEO -- it will find its data right where it left it.

Does Prime SEO support AIOSEO's template variables?

During migration, AIOSEO's variables (like #post_title, #site_title, #separator_sa) are automatically converted to Prime SEO's format ({title}, {site_title}, {separator}). You do not need to manually update any templates. The conversion covers all common AIOSEO variables including date, author, category, excerpt, and search query variables.

Is Prime SEO lighter than AIOSEO?

Significantly. AIOSEO weighs over 30MB (files, assets, and dependencies). Prime SEO is under 2MB. Fewer files, fewer database queries, and no external dependencies beyond WordPress core. On shared hosting or sites with limited resources, the difference is noticeable during plugin updates and admin page loads.