How to redesign a website without losing SEO?

More than just a visual makeover, a website redesign is a chance to improve the user experience, boost functionality, and align your digital presence with a brand’s evolution. But as exciting as it sounds, this transformation often comes with challenges that can jeopardize your current SEO position. However, with the right approach, you can revamp your site without sacrificing visibility, ensuring that both search engines and users love the new look.

In this guide, we’ll examine the nitty-gritty of website redesign, highlighting how it can affect your search result rankings, common mistakes to avoid during this process, and 15 steps to remain highly ranked.

What effect website redesign has on your ranking

A website redesign is a good decision that can have a positive or negative impact on search results. On the one hand, it improves the user experience, but if it is done wrong, the platform can face a drop in search result rankings. This is largely caused by a disruption in SEO groundwork. Imagine remodeling a garden and adding a new kind of flowers without considering the ecosystem. You may risk ruining all the hard work you’ve done. The same thing happens when redesigning.

A classic example is changing the URLs of web pages without redirecting them. Visitors will find broken links, and your backlinks will become useless, leading to a significant traffic drop. You’re redesigning to improve monthly visits but somehow end up chasing away potential customers. That’s why it’s crucial to learn the relationship between SEO website redesign and search rankings.

From the search engine perspective, a redesign may affect the ability to crawl and index content. For instance, overlooking technical SEO elements can lead to Google undervaluing the relevance of pages. Therefore, ensure elements like meta tags, keywords, and markups are properly transferred. Otherwise, you may lose your advantageous positions on SERPs.

<div class="post__style-link">For a detailed overview of when and why you should consider a website redesign, check out our blog post Website Redesign: How-To-Guide, Tips and Best Practices.</div>

Common SEO pitfalls in website redesign

As we mentioned earlier, even small oversights during a website redesign can have a significant impact on your SEO performance. For your site’s success, it’s crucial to be aware of these potential risks and resolve them proactively. Here are some common mistakes to watch out for. Let’s break down the details!

Losing indexed pages

One big challenge of a redesign is the potential loss of indexed pages. When you change your site architecture and content, search engines may struggle to find and evaluate the web pages immediately. This disruption in the indexing process can lead to fluctuations in traffic, as it takes time for search engines to crawl and re-index your site.

Following a site redesign SEO checklist will help ensure that all the main pages remain indexed. It’s also crucial to regularly audit your website after a redesign to identify any indexing issues as soon as they occur. By addressing these obstacles early, you can maintain your ongoing SEO efforts for the website redesign. Ultimately, you’ll enjoy the advantages of a fresh design while keeping the site traffic and rankings intact.

Losing indexed pages hurts your rankings severely. To prevent this catastrophe, use a website relaunch SEO checklist and continuously monitor site performance for indexing issues during and after a redesign.

Changing URLs without proper redirects

A major mistake that can undermine SEO when redesigning a website is changing URLs without setting up redirects. This can negatively impact both search engine rankings and user experience. Visitors may struggle to find content even if they click on the correct link, as the content has been moved to a different location.

Specifically, 301 redirects notify search engines and users about the updated URL location. If a redesign involves multiple URL changes, use spreadsheets to streamline the process. You can set up formulas for redirect mapping and collaborate closely with your developers to ensure redirects are implemented accurately and tested before launch.

Overlooking mobile optimization

Google’s mobile-first indexing prioritizes mobile versions, so neglecting mobile optimization seriously harms your rankings. If visitors find it hard to navigate your site on mobile devices and abandon a session, the search engine will take note. In fact, in the USA alone, mobile devices make up over 60% of all search traffic, underscoring the need to keep your site responsive and user-friendly across different screens.

Check your website on multiple screens to ensure it works well on different devices. Several test tools are available to identify and fix mobile usability issues. Also, refer to the guidelines of Google’s mobile-first indexing recommendations while working on your website redesign SEO. Improving mobile user satisfaction gives you an advantage in maintaining your in-progress SEO efforts.

Slowing down page speed with heavy visuals

Incorporating excessive visual elements during a redesign slows down page speed significantly. Page speed directly affects both user experience and search engine rankings. Visitors generally expect a web page to load under two seconds and tend to leave once it takes too long. Naturally, search engines penalize your website since users aren’t satisfied, as demonstrated by the high bounce rate.

To sidestep this obstacle, optimize the redesigned visuals for faster performance. Employ lazy loading tactics so that images only load when they’re about to appear on the screen. At the same time, remember to compress large images and use WebP format for efficiency. The fast-loading pages will prevent visibility from dwindling on SERPs by keeping both users and search engines happy.

Ignoring technical SEO aspects (schema markup, alt tags, etc.)

Errors in schema markup, alt tags, and other technical components signal search engines about your website’s accessibility problems. For instance, images won’t be indexed without adequate alt tags, resulting in missed SEO opportunities. Conversely, if your schema markup is removed by accident during a redesign, you may encounter a decrease in rankings and site traffic as well.

To redesign a website without losing SEO, paying attention to these aspects is crucial. First, ensure that all images have properly optimized alt tags. Additionally, update the schema markup to help Google better understand the structure of your content. Regular audits are also essential to catch and repair glitches, ultimately improving performance. For the best results, utilize Technical SEO Services, which focus on enhancing performance, visibility, and usability altogether.

15 steps on how to redesign a website without losing SEO

A website redesign offers an exciting opportunity to refresh your digital presence, but it also requires careful planning to avoid SEO setbacks. With this in mind, we’ve prepared 15 clear and actionable steps to help you execute your redesign effectively so that your site remains optimized and visible in search results throughout the transition.

1. Identify high-performing pages and keywords

Before starting the redesign journey, pinpoint outstanding pages that generate the most views, interactions, and conversions. Besides, it’s important to assess the keywords related to these pages so that you can leave them untouched during the redesign. To monitor performance metrics, use free analysis tools like Google Analytics to simplify the process. This will help you track down the pages and keywords that drive traffic.

Once you identify pages that perform well, retain their valuable SEO equity by minimizing changes to them. Altering or removing a high-performing page or keyword could jeopardize previous successes. Hence, this should be a key focus of your SEO strategy during a website relaunch. After all, you want to build on your accomplishments rather than starting over.

2. Plan and map 301 redirects

A well-executed 301 redirect strategy ensures a seamless user experience and preserves your site’s SEO value during a redesign. If you remove or restructure pages, redirects inform both users and search engines where to find the new content. Without them, visitors encounter “Page Not Found” errors, while search engines may struggle to index your updated site, leading to lost rankings.

To implement 301 redirects effectively, start by creating a comprehensive list of all the URLs you plan to modify or remove. Map these to their corresponding new addresses or the most relevant alternative pages. For instance, if you’re consolidating two product pages into one, redirect the old URLs to the updated version. This careful planning minimizes disruption, maintains link equity, and guides search engines through your site’s new structure, keeping your traffic and rankings intact.

3. Conduct an SEO audit of the current website

It’s important to identify existing issues and opportunities by conducting a thorough SEO audit. The review will help you understand your site’s standing and areas for improvement. It’s like a health check for a website that offers the basics for future strategies. In specific, an SEO audit can uncover:

• Broken links
• Duplicate content
• Slow page loading times
• Keyword gaps
• Mobile unresponsiveness
• Missing titles, tags, and meta descriptions

Screaming Frog and Google Search Console are the go-to resources for running a quick SEO audit. To gain an in-depth analysis and professional advice, you can involve an expert SEO Audit with a dedicated team to review your website. With 15 years of experience, our specialists provide full-suite support in evaluating performance and addressing issues to enhance the overall reach. For more details on the key factors affecting traffic, check out our article SEO Audit Checklist.

4. Map URLs using a crawler

The next step for the site redesign SEO checklist is mapping URLs with a crawler. Crawlers like Screaming Frog will help you create a detailed list of the current URLs, highlighting the website architecture by crawling up to 500 pages free of charge. For example, mapping URLs enables you to identify which pages need 301 redirects or HTML tags, ensuring you include important pages in the redesign.

Typically, once a crawler accesses a website, it will crawl other pages through internal links. That’s why it’s also referred to as an SEO spider. Here’s how it works when you use a crawler for your site:

• Launch the tool: Enter the website’s URL and let the crawler scan the entire site. This process entails scanning through every page, including deep links.
• Analyze data: After crawling, the tool continues to examine the information. Examples include high-traffic pages with strong SEO metrics.
• Create a URL map: The crawler exports the list into a spreadsheet. You can use it as a reference during the redesign, ensuring you account for all pages. 

A logical URL structure improves rankings and traffic. You’ll be rewarded with visibility as the search engine recognizes a well-mapped redesign.

5. Set no-index for the staging site

Forgetting to add a no-index meta tag to a staging environment can negatively impact the SEO of your redesign. No-index tags prevent Google from including your test site in search results, keeping it hidden during redesign. If you don’t use this tag, the search engine may see your staging site as duplicate content, seriously harming your SEO rankings.

To implement the no-index tag, simply add the following code in the HTML head section of your staging web pages:

 meta name="robots" content="noindex" 

If you want to no-index the staging site specifically from Google, use this code instead:

 meta name="googlebot" content="noindex" 

Once the no-index tag is applied, it’s essential to verify that your staging site isn’t being indexed. Use Google’s URL Inspection Tool to request a recrawl of the page. After it is complete, check to see if the URL still appears in search results. If it does, repeat the no-index process to ensure proper implementation.

6. Ensure mobile optimization

A mobile-friendly version guarantees a successful redesign. Since a majority of users access websites via mobile devices, you’ll need to adopt a responsive design that seamlessly fits different screen sizes. This approach not only enhances user experience but also increases rankings on SERPs.

However, achieving clicks on mobile can be more challenging due to lower click-through rates. Consequently, the competition in this area is more intense. Therefore, your mobile version must be fast, intuitive, and easy to navigate. A smooth mobile experience can significantly boost engagement and rankings, helping you obtain a redesign that doesn’t sacrifice your prior SEO achievements.

7. Verify robots.txt and meta robots

Robots.txt and meta robots tags play a critical role in determining how search engines interact with your site content. The former is a file that recommends which pages to crawl and restricts bots from certain sections. Meanwhile, meta robots provide instructions for particular content, which are added to the individual page’s HTML.

To verify robot.txt, you can use tools to check whether the file is configured correctly. Ensure that it allows crawlers to reach important pages while blocking non-public ones. For detailed instructions on how to use robot.txt, refer to our Robots.txt Guide. On the other hand, inspect the source code on each page to add or remove meta robots when necessary.

8. Update schema markup

Schema markup is a structured vocabulary added to a website’s HTML code, helping search engines interpret and display content more effectively. During a redesign, updating and reviewing schema markup is crucial as you introduce new content and design elements. Properly implemented schema makes your site’s information more attractive and accessible to search crawlers, which can significantly boost visibility.

For instance, suppose you’re adding a new product page to your e-commerce website. Using schema markup allows Google to display product details such as price, star ratings, and reviews on the SERP. Once the redesigned site is live, use Google Search Console to monitor the Schema Markup Report and identify any issues flagged by search crawlers. Keeping your schema accurate and complete ensures your redesigned site remains optimized and competitive in search rankings.

9. Improve existing content for better engagement

Content quality is the key factor in engaging the audience, keeping them on a website longer, and reducing bounce rates. You can improve existing content by refreshing outdated information, improving readability scores, and adding relevant keywords. For example, if you have an old blog post that still generates traffic, update it with current data and enticing visuals.

To ensure you don’t lose SEO during a redesign, improve existing content. Actions to take include replacing old information, updating keywords, or incorporating multimedia for enhanced user experience.

This step enables you to maintain the site’s relevance, telling search engines that the content offered is up-to-date, unique, and informative to users. Google will reward your hard work by ranking you higher in search results. Additionally, you can rest assured that the redesign doesn’t sabotage all previous SEO groundwork.

10. Boost page speed and on-page SEO

Again, faster loading time benefits rankings significantly, no matter whether users access a website on a desktop or mobile device. Without page speed and on-page SEO improvements, your redesign risks losing SEO. Steps such as optimizing images, minifying code, and utilizing caching can help you enhance the user experience. Plus, these strategies also positively impact loading times simultaneously.

Specifically, you can compress large images without sacrificing quality. Also, reducing CSS, JavaScript, and HTML file size substantially boosts load speed and responsiveness. Lastly, a Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a turbocharger for page speed. It’s designed to store copies of a website on servers distributed across different locations. This allows visitors to access your website at lightning speed regardless of where they live.

The PageSpeed Insights tool is super helpful for testing site speed — it allows you to analyze your performance score, opportunities, and diagnostics. You can utilize the suggestions and adopt relevant changes for website redesign. To learn how the experts climb the ranking and increase traffic, check out our article How to Increase Organic Traffic to Your Website.

11. Optimize internal linking

Internal linking is a roadmap for both users and search engines to navigate your site. Linking related pages and content within the website during redesign will foster the user experience and ultimately improve search result rankings. At the same time, remember to update your internal links by removing those pointing to deleted pages or replacing them with new URLs in case of redirects.

To create internal linking, begin by determining the main pages on which you want to increase rankings. Then, select other relevant content and add links connecting to these pages where appropriate. For example, if you have a blog post about “Winter fashion trends,” you can link it to “What to shop this winter” which has a similar topic. This will guide visitors to other valuable information and indicate to Google that these pages are important.

12. Use a temporary URL while backing up the live site

A temporary URL is a lifesaver when redesigning your website. This way, you can work on the new design without disrupting the performance of the live site. The temporary site allows you to make changes, test functionalities, and tweak design elements until they become perfect.

More importantly, the non-indexed temporary URL ensures your live site operates normally, preventing SEO pitfalls. Here’s a brief guide to creating a temporary URL for redesign purposes:

• Set up a subdomain: Go to the control panel and create a subdomain (e.g. staging.yourwebsite.com). This will be the temporary URL.
• Duplicate the site: Copy all files and databases to the new subdomain.
• Update configurations: Confirm that the temporary subdomain’s configuration files connect to the duplicated database.
• Test performance: Check if the staging area works seamlessly without affecting the main site.

Once you’ve finished building a redesign on the temporary URL, transfer the changes smoothly to the live site. This step guarantees a disruption-free redesign process.

13. Resubmit your XML sitemap

An XML sitemap is a file listing all the pages on a website. It enables search engines, such as Google, to comprehend the organization of your content. Based on the sitemap, bots can crawl and index pages more efficiently. Thus, resubmitting your XML sitemap is essential during a redesign. You can communicate the new site structure, recently added pages, or deleted content with search engines so rankings won’t be negatively affected.

The step is straightforward — simply upload the updated sitemap.xml file to the website’s server. Double-check to see if it’s already located in your root directory and verify if it’s working by adding the “/sitemap.xml” to your site’s domain. Finally, resubmit the sitemap to search engines so your redesign can get indexed more quickly. Want to explore the way a sitemap is created? Read our detailed article XML Sitemap to learn how we create sitemap step-by-step.

14. Monitor SEO metrics and organic traffic

It’s vital to maintain a regular monitoring schedule of SEO metrics and organic traffic. This step helps you catch performance dips and make appropriate fixes promptly to preserve your visibility and traffic. Always remember that SEO is an ongoing process, and there’s no shortcut to achieving the best results without constantly improving your SEO scores.

Don’t worry if you start to experience minor problems after going live — this is normal. Just keep monitoring and optimizing your website in the post-redesign period.

Powerful tools like Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and Ahrefs can help you track key metrics such as click-through rates or keyword rankings. If you suddenly encounter a traffic drop during the redesign, these tools will help you pinpoint affected pages to optimize. Another applicable feature is creating scheduled reports and alerts to notify you of changes.

<div class="post__style-link">To find out how to set up custom reports in GA4, visit our blog, How to create custom reports in Google Analytics 4.</div>

15. Run A/B tests on a key page

A/B testing or split-testing is a method of comparing two variations of a web page to see which one performs better. It involves making small changes to an element like the layout or headline on the two variants (A and B) and revealing whether they improve user engagement or boost desired actions. Then, you’ll make data-driven decisions on which version to implement based on the key metrics.

To conduct an A/B test on a web page, first identify the page up for the test and select the changes you’d like to make. Then, set clear goals and run the test manually or using supporting tools. Finally, allow it some time to take effect and draw conclusions by measuring the results. Only then can you confirm that the new design won’t negatively affect your ongoing SEO work but will maintain or even improve visibility and traffic.

Provide redesign website without losing SEO with our experts

Experiencing a traffic drop during a redesign can be fatal to your digital marketing. To save you from losing SEO when doing a relaunch, Halo Lab’s SEO services can diagnose complex issues and devise the best solutions. Our expertise lies in SEO strategy development, site optimization, and backlink profile improvement.

Working with us, you’ll ensure your website redesign doesn’t lead to compromised visibility and traffic. Our comprehensive approach to SEO paves the way for integrity during the redesign process. In specific, the services include:

• Position the redesigned site through competitor analysis;
• Research keywords to ensure your new content meets user expectations;
• Conduct technical audit to find and fix issues;
• Optimize redesigned pages for SEO best practices;
• Enhance your backlink profile to support the redesigned site’s authority;
• Boost user experience and trustworthiness.

A smooth redesign is within reach when you have the right team on your side. For a personalized consultation on SEO relaunch, chat with us today!