A new website should bring in more enquiries, not fewer. Yet plenty of redesigns launch to a drop in traffic, because pages that Google had learned to trust were moved, renamed or deleted. If you are planning a new website, a little preparation protects what you have already earned. These are the steps that matter most for website redesign SEO.
Record what you have before you change it
Start with a list of every page on your current site, its web address, its title and the traffic it receives. Your analytics and Google Search Console will show which pages bring in visitors and which search terms they appear for. Those pages are your assets. If you are not sure the redesign is needed yet, our post on five signs your website needs a redesign is a useful starting point.
Keep the pages that work, and the words that earn them
Redesign does not mean rewriting everything. If a page ranks for a useful phrase, keep its main heading, its core wording and its address wherever you can. Improve the layout, the images and the calls to action around it. Where pages must be merged or retired, decide in advance where each one goes.
Redirect every old address that changes
When a web address changes, set up a permanent (301) redirect from the old address to the closest matching new page. This tells search engines and visitors where the content has moved, and it carries most of the page’s standing with it. Redirecting everything to the home page is a poor substitute. Check the list page by page before launch and again afterwards.
Build search into the structure, then check after launch
Search works best when it is designed in from the start: clear structure, sensible headings, page titles, descriptions, image sizes and load speed. We build on WordPress with that in mind, and we can offer ongoing SEO or work alongside an existing SEO provider. Make sure the new site is not left blocked from search engines after the staging stage, then watch Search Console for errors and ranking changes over the first weeks.
A careful launch takes some extra planning, but it means the redesign builds on your search visibility rather than starting from scratch.
Planning a website redesign and want to protect your search visibility? Get in touch with Design Minds or email info@designminds.ie.
