Redesigning your website without losing Google rankings

A new website can lose in a few weeks the traffic the old one built up over years. It almost always happens for the same reason: page addresses change and Google no longer knows where to find them. A few steps done properly reduce the risk a lot.

Why rankings drop

Google knows the pages of your site by their address. If "/services/installations" becomes "/what-we-do", for Google the old page disappears and the new one starts from zero. The same happens if you change domain, remove pages that brought visits or rewrite copy that answered a search well.

First: a page inventory

Collect every address of the old site. Your sources are the sitemap, Search Console and your analytics. For each page, note how many visits it brings and from which searches: those are the pages to protect first.

A map of the old addresses

For every old address, choose the new one that answers the same question. Do not send everything to the home page: Google treats those redirects as pages that have gone. If a page no longer has an equivalent, pick the closest page by topic.

301 redirects

A 301 redirect tells Google and browsers that a page has moved for good. It is set up on the server, for every line of the map. Google recommends keeping them as long as possible, generally at least one year (Google Search Central).

Content that works

If a page brings visits, do not overhaul it. You can change its design, but keep the topic, the information and the words people search for. Keep the titles and descriptions of the pages that perform well too.

Launch day

• Remove the search engine block used on the staging site. It is a frequent mistake, and an expensive one.
• Check that the redirects work, one by one or with a tool that tests them all.
• Submit the new sitemap in Search Console.
• If you change domain, also use the Change of Address tool in Search Console.
• Update the links you control: your business profile on Google, social accounts, email signatures.

After launch

In the following weeks keep an eye on Search Console: pages not found, excluded pages, searches that drop. Some fluctuation is normal. For a small or medium site, Google can take a few weeks to move most pages. If an important page has not recovered after a few weeks, check its redirect and its content.

To work out how much to invest in the new site, read how much a website costs. If you are thinking of moving from WordPress to a custom site, or the other way round, read WordPress or a custom website.