If you convert your article to a link, google ranks that down not up
Changing and converting full article to backlink will affect Steemit, not Hive. As you're doing change on Steemit.
It's just another backlink from a another website. This is a common practice when people change the entire website and website address.
Clicking on www.yourolddomain.com would automatically redirect visitors to the same page on your new website www.yournewdomain.com
This doesn't mean that your new website is going to rank down because of the action of your old website!
Of course I believe that you have better logic than mine. That's why I mentioned three other options besides "removing/editing full article". Feel free to use one if you think it won't affect Hive.