SEO is often an afterthought in website redesign projects. Web designers and developers focus on creating a visually stunning website, while SEO considerations are commonly left to the last minute or ignored altogether.
The result? A beautiful website that fails to keep your hard-earned SEO rankings and keyword positions. The good news is that with a solid website redesign SEO plan, you can avoid the common pitfalls and ensure a smooth transition to your new website.
In this article, we’ll explore the importance of maintaining SEO during a website redesign and provide a complete website redesign SEO checklist to guide you through the process. Let’s explore:
Does a website redesign affect SEO?
The short answer is yes. A website redesign can be a great opportunity, but it can also be a disaster. It is like a double-edged sword. On one hand, it can breathe new life into your online presence and improve user experience.
On the other hand, it can lead to countless SEO issues, from tanked rankings to lost traffic.
When you redesign your website, you’re essentially rebuilding your online foundation. This can lead to issues with your URL structure, internal link structure, and content. If not done correctly, you can experience a significant drop in traffic and rankings.
Importance of redesigning a website without losing SEO
So, why is it crucial to maintain your SEO during a website redesign? The answer is simple: your online visibility and reputation are at stake. A well-planned redesign can help you:
- Preserve your hard-earned search engine rankings.
- Maintain your organic traffic and conversion rates.
- Avoid costly SEO recovery efforts.
- Improve your website’s user experience and accessibility.
- Enhance your brand’s credibility and trustworthiness.
In short, a successful website redesign that considers SEO from day one can be a game-changer for your business.
How to use this website redesign SEO checklist
This website redesign SEO checklist is designed to be your trusted companion throughout the website redesign process. It’s divided into three stages: pre-redesign, during the redesign, and post-redesign.
Each stage is packed with actionable tips, best practises, and SEO essentials to ensure a smooth transition to your new website. Work through each stage, and you’ll be well on your way to a successful SEO-friendly website redesign.
Also, remember to:
- Take your time, and don’t rush the process.
- Involve your stakeholders, including web developers, designers, and marketers.
- Keep your SEO goals and KPIs top of mind.
- Stay organised and methodical in your approach.
- Refer back to this checklist as often as needed.
With this website redesign SEO checklist, you’ll be well-equipped to navigate the complexities of website redesigns and maintain your SEO momentum. So, let’s get into the checklist.
Website redesign SEO checklist
Now that we’ve discussed the importance of maintaining SEO during a website redesign, let’s dive into the website redesign SEO checklist.
This checklist is divided into three stages: pre-website redesign, during-website redesign, and post-website redesign. It will help you redesign a website without losing SEO.
Pre-website redesign SEO checklist
1. Analyse your existing website
Take a closer look at your current website’s performance using tools like Google Analytics, Microsoft Clarity, PageSpeed Insights, and GTMetrix. Identify areas of improvement, such as slow page speed, poor mobile usability, and low conversion rates.
Read More: The Impact of Page Speed on User Experience and SEO
You might think your old design will be gone; why would I do that? This part of this website redesign checklist is important because it will help you pinpoint what needs to change and what you can improve.
2. Set your website redesign goals
Define your SEO goals and KPIs for the new website. What do you want to achieve with your redesign? Are you looking to increase organic traffic, boost conversion rates, or enhance your brand’s online presence?
Having clear goals will help you stay focused throughout the redesign process.
3. Plan your site architecture
Map out your new website’s architecture, including the sitemap, navigation, and footer. Ensure your site’s structure is logical, easy to navigate, and mobile-friendly.
An effective website architecture helps search engines understand your website’s hierarchy and enhances user experience.
4. Audit your content
Conduct a thorough content audit to identify what content is worth keeping, updating, or removing. By doing so, you will avoid content duplication, reduce thin content, and improve the overall quality of your content.
5. Map out redirects
Plan your redirect strategy to ensure existing URLs are properly redirected to their new counterparts. As a result, broken links will be avoided, link equity will be preserved, and your website’s authority will be maintained. With tools like Yoast SEO, you can manage redirects easily.
6. Identify and assess all existing pages
Review all existing pages, including products, services, and blog posts. Sort through your pages to identify which are essential to your business and which can be merged, updated, or removed.
7. Create a keyword map for a new website
Develop a keyword map that outlines the target keywords for each page. It will help you optimise your content, meta tags, and URL structure for search engines. You can use tools like SEMRUSH Ahrefs to help you with keyword research and mapping.
8. Take a backup
This part of the website redesign SEO checklist shouldn’t be overlooked. It may seem unimportant to back up the old site. Nevertheless, it is crucial.
A full backup will ensure you can revert to your old website if anything goes wrong during the redesign process. To create a complete website backup, you can use tools like UpdraftPlus or VaultPress.
During website redesign SEO checklist
1. Ensure the new website is accessible
Verify that your new website is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. Implement WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) best practices to ensure your website is user-friendly and search engine-friendly.
2. Ensure mobile friendliness
Mobile-friendly optimisation is essential for new websites. The design, layout, and functionality of the website should be mobile-friendly and provide excellent user experience on smaller screens.
Your website’s mobile friendliness can be verified with Google’s Mobile-Friendly Tool.
3. Optimise images and multimedia
Make sure that all images, videos, and other multimedia elements on your new website are optimised. Make them search engine friendly by compressing file sizes, using appropriate file formats, and adding alt text and captions.
Your website will load faster and be more accessible as a result.
4. Ensure on-page optimisations
Take the time to optimise every page on your new website, such as the meta titles, meta descriptions, headings, and content. Ensure that your target keywords are naturally integrated into the content without being over-optimised.
5. Optimise page speed and core web vitals
Consider optimising your new website’s speed and making sure it meets Google’s Core Web Vitals requirements. You can detect and address performance issues by using tools like PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse, and GTmetrix.
6. Don’t fix what is not broken
Avoid making unnecessary changes to pages or features that were already performing well in search engines. Focus your efforts on areas that need improvement, and maintain the elements that are already driving positive results.
7. Test the new website on a staging site
Before launching the new website, thoroughly test it on a staging site. In this way, you can identify and fix any SEO-related issues, such as broken links, indexing problems, or technical errors, without affecting your live site.
Post-website redesign SEO checklist
1. Activate your redesigned website
Once you’ve thoroughly tested your new website on a staging site following this website redesign SEO checklist, it’s time to activate the redesigned website. Ensure that all pages, features, and functionalities are working as intended before making the new website live.
2. Audit your new website
Conduct a comprehensive audit of your new website to identify any lingering SEO issues or areas for improvement. Find technical problems, content gaps, and optimisation opportunities on your website by using tools like Screaming Frog and Ahrefs.
3. Set up 301 redirects
To smoothly transition users and search engines to the new website, implement a robust 301 redirect strategy. In this way, you will avoid 404 errors and maintain your website’s link equity.
4. Monitor crawl data and HTTP authentication issues
Keep an eye on your website’s crawl data in Google Search Console to identify any crawl errors or HTTP authentication issues. For your website to be fully accessible to search engines, you must resolve any of these issues promptly.
5. Implement proper URL structure
Optimise your new website’s URL structure to be search engine-friendly. Use clear, descriptive URLs that include your target keywords and avoid unnecessary parameters or dynamic URLs.
6. Verify robots.txt and meta robots tag
Review and ensure your website’s robots.txt file and meta robots tags are up-to-date to guide search engines on which parts of your site to crawl and index.
Robots.txt files direct search engines on which sections to explore, while meta robots tags in your HTML specify pages to exclude.
7. Diagnose technical SEO issues
Conduct a thorough technical SEO audit to identify and address any underlying SEO issues that may have surfaced during the redesign process.
Analyse your website’s indexation, architecture, and overall technical health with tools like Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, and Google Search Console.
8. Update & submit XML sitemap
Create a new XML sitemap for your redesigned website and submit it to Google Search Console and other search engines. It will help search bots crawl and index your updated content more efficiently.
9. Optimise content
Assuming you have already completed the pre-website redesign checklist for SEO. You know what content worked well, what needs improvement, and which must be eliminated.
You don’t need to change any content that is performing well. Ensure your other content on your website is helpful, engaging, and optimised for search engines. Also, keep publishing new content to keep your website updated.
10. Track user behaviour
Continuously monitor user behavior on your new website using tools like Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity. Analyse user interactions, bounce rates, and conversion metrics to identify areas for further optimisation and improvement.
11. Monitor SEO performance changes
Continuously monitor your website’s SEO performance after the redesign. This includes tracking keyword positions, keyword impressions, and organic traffic.
Use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to identify any changes or fluctuations in your website’s SEO performance.
12. Assess indexing issues
After your website redesign, assess any indexing issues affecting your website’s search visibility. Use tools like Google Search Console and Google Analytics to identify and fix any issues that may be hindering your website’s SEO.
In conclusion
A poorly executed website redesign can lead to a disastrous loss of rankings, visibility, and organic traffic – a fate no business owner wants to face.
However, by following the website redesign SEO checklist outlined in this guide, you can confidently navigate the website redesign process and ensure your new online presence is optimised for search engine success.
