How to redesign your website without losing your Google rankings
- SEO
- Redesign
The saddest redesign story is the same every time. The new site is beautiful, the launch party is lovely, and three weeks later the phone has stopped ringing because Google can no longer find the pages that used to bring people in. It is entirely avoidable.
Record what you have before you touch it
Export a list of every address on the current site, and note which ones get visitors and which bring enquiries. Google Search Console shows the pages and searches that matter. Save a copy of that data; you will want to compare it later.
Keep addresses the same, or redirect them
If a page moves, every old address needs a permanent redirect to its new equivalent, one to one. Sending everything to the home page is not a plan; Google treats it as the old page disappearing. Pay special attention to the pages that rank.
Do not delete good content
It is tempting to simplify. Before you cut a page, look at whether it brings visitors. A rambling article that ranks for something useful is worth tidying up, not removing. Keep the titles and headings that match what people search for, and improve the writing rather than replacing it.
Check the technical basics before launch
Make sure the test version is hidden from search while you build it, and then make sure that block is removed on launch day. It sounds trivial, and it is a common reason a new site vanishes from Google. Also check page titles, descriptions, the sitemap and that the site works on a phone.
- Old addresses mapped and redirected
- Titles and descriptions carried across or improved
- A new sitemap submitted in Search Console
- The block on search engines removed after launch
- Analytics or tracking working from the first day
Watch the first month
After launch, watch Search Console for errors and for pages that drop. Small movements are normal while Google re-reads the site. A steady fall on one page usually means a redirect was missed, and it is easy to fix when you catch it in week one.