How to avoid losing SEO when you redesign a website
Website and SEO
6 min read
Published: · Updated:
Search engines know your pages by their addresses, not by their design. That is why the new site’s looks matter less to your search traffic than what happens to the old URLs. To avoid SEO loss in a redesign, you need to know which addresses currently appear in search, decide where each one goes on the new site, connect moved pages with permanent (301) redirects and test it all before launch.
Most losses happen out of sight. The designers refresh the pages, the writers tighten the headlines, and nobody asks what happens to the old address.
What happens if you don't tell the post office?
Imagine moving house and not telling the post office or your friends. The letters keep going to the old address. Nobody lives there any more, and the new owner doesn’t know you.
For search engines, the old URL is the old house. If no page is there, a visitor lands on a “page not found” screen, and whatever value the page built up doesn’t pass to the new address. A 301 redirect is the change-of-address form: this page has moved, and here is where.
Building the inventory
Before the redesign starts, list every page on the current site. On a small site you can do it by hand. As the page count grows, exporting from the site’s page list or sitemap speeds things up. Columns: URL, title tag, meta description, what the page does, and whether it gets visits from search.
For visits, use the Performance report in Search Console and your analytics tool. If neither is connected, write “data needed” in that column. You still get the list; you just can’t tell which pages matter most.
A fictional sample:
| Old URL | New URL | Status |
|---|---|---|
| /services/ | /services/ | Stays the same |
| /contact.html | /contact/ | Moves, redirect needed |
| /blog/2023/05/first-post/ | /blog/first-post/ | Moves, redirect needed |
| /sale-2022/ | /services/ | Removed, redirect to closest topic |
| /category/news/ | undecided | Often forgotten |
The person designing and the person responsible for search should both work from this table. Then “why was this page deleted?” gets asked before launch, not after.
Which URLs should change at all?
Honestly, the easiest redirect is the one you don’t need. An address that changes “because it looks nicer” costs work and adds risk. Unless there’s a real reason, such as tidying dated blog URLs, leave addresses as they are.
If an address has to change, there are three outcomes: the page keeps its address, the page stays but moves and needs a redirect, or the page goes and is redirected to the nearest topic.
Setting up 301 redirects
Redirects are set up in the server configuration or with your site’s redirect tool, depending on your setup. The rules are the same everywhere:
- No chains. Don’t go A to B to C; go straight from A to C.
- Don’t send everything to the home page. A redirect that doesn’t match the topic confuses visitors and search engines alike.
- Prepare redirects before launch, not after.
Google explains redirects in its documentation on 301 redirects.
Moving titles and text
On the new design the copy may get shorter, and that’s normal. But pages that already earn search traffic should keep their subject and main phrases. Take title tags and descriptions from the inventory, put them on the new pages, then improve them. Check that each page has a single H1.
Three things slip through. If the blog’s URL structure changes, match every post one by one. Category and tag pages are rarely thought about. And images and downloadable files that appear in search are addresses too; if a folder or file name changes, those links break. Give each its own row in the inventory.
What to test before going live
The new site is built on a separate staging site. Check there that all pages open, that the redirect list lands where it should and that the layout and speed work on a phone. The staging site must be closed to search engines, or two copies of the same content will circulate.
On launch day, resubmit the sitemap in Search Console. In the first few weeks, watch for “not found” errors. If you see an unexpected drop, check the redirects first. Some movement after launch is common; how long it lasts can’t be said in advance, because it depends on the site.
When the domain changes too
The same rules apply with higher risk. Every old URL must redirect to its equivalent on the new domain, and the move should be reported with the Change of Address tool in Search Console. Google’s site move guide lists the steps in order. After the move, repeat the checks in GA4 setup step by step to confirm measurement works on the new domain.
The checkbox that gets forgotten on launch morning
On WordPress sites, the Reading page under Settings has a search engine visibility checkbox. It’s ticked on staging so the unfinished site isn’t found. When you go live, make sure it’s unticked. If it’s forgotten, the new site looks great and drops out of search, and sometimes nobody notices for weeks. Put it first on the launch-day list.
Frequently asked questions
Will I lose SEO if I redesign my website?
You can, but it isn’t inevitable. Losses mostly come from addresses changing without control, missing redirects and deleted titles, not from the design itself. An inventory and a destination for every URL cut the risk noticeably. Some short-term movement after launch is still possible.
How long should 301 redirects stay in place?
As long as you can. If you have no reason to remove them, leaving them does no harm. Removing them sends anyone using the old address, bookmark or search result to a “not found” page. Google’s site move guidance also advises keeping redirects for a long time.
What happens if I change my domain name?
The same rules apply, with more at stake. Redirect every old URL to its equivalent on the new domain and report the change in Search Console. Visibility may fluctuate for a while afterwards, and how long can’t be known in advance.
What if no analytics tools are connected?
Make the page list by hand or from the sitemap, then connect and verify Search Console. You won’t get past data, but you can monitor what happens after the move. Keep the “data needed” column in the inventory; a gap is information.
To track search results on the new site, how to set up Google Search Console covers the first 30 days.
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