SEO Mistakes to Avoid During a Website Redesign
Redesigning your website is an exciting opportunity to improve its look, functionality, and user experience. But while you’re busy focusing on aesthetics and features, it’s easy to overlook a critical aspect: SEO. A poorly managed redesign can undo years of hard work, causing a significant drop in rankings and traffic.
Having gone through website redesigns that caused unexpected SEO setbacks, I’ve learned the hard way that careful planning is essential. Here’s a guide to help you avoid the most common SEO mistakes during a website redesign and ensure a smooth transition without sacrificing your search rankings.
1. Not Conducting an SEO Audit Before Redesigning
Before diving into a redesign, you need to understand what’s already working on your current website. Skipping an SEO audit means you might accidentally remove high-performing pages or features.
The Mistake:
- Redesigning without identifying your top-ranking pages or valuable backlinks.
- Ignoring the existing content structure.
How to Avoid It:
- Use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to identify your most-visited pages, highest-ranking keywords, and valuable backlinks.
- Create a list of pages that must be preserved during the redesign.
2. Ignoring URL Structure Changes
Changing URLs without proper redirects can confuse search engines and users, leading to broken links, crawl errors, and lost rankings.
The Mistake:
- Changing page URLs without implementing 301 redirects.
- Creating inconsistent URL structures.
How to Avoid It:
- Map out your current URLs and determine which ones will change.
- Set up 301 redirects for any URLs that are being updated to maintain link equity and rankings.
Pro Tip:
Use a tool like Screaming Frog to crawl your site before the redesign and ensure all redirects are properly set up post-launch.
3. Deleting High-Performing Pages
It’s tempting to clean house during a redesign, but deleting pages that rank well or drive traffic can lead to significant drops in visibility.
The Mistake:
- Removing pages with valuable content or backlinks.
- Overlooking older content that’s still relevant.
How to Avoid It:
- Use an SEO audit to identify high-performing pages that should remain on the new site.
- If you must delete a page, redirect it to a related page to retain link equity.
4. Neglecting Mobile Optimization
With mobile-first indexing, Google primarily evaluates the mobile version of your site for rankings. A redesign that doesn’t prioritize mobile optimization can hurt your SEO efforts.
The Mistake:
- Designing only for desktop users.
- Not testing the mobile version of your site during the redesign process.
How to Avoid It:
- Use a responsive design that adapts to all devices.
- Test your site’s mobile usability with Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool.
5. Forgetting About Internal Links
Internal links play a crucial role in helping search engines understand your site’s structure and guiding users to related content. During a redesign, it’s easy to disrupt your internal linking strategy.
The Mistake:
- Breaking internal links during the redesign.
- Overlooking opportunities to improve internal linking on new pages.
How to Avoid It:
- Audit your internal links before the redesign and ensure they are updated post-launch.
- Add new internal links to improve the flow between pages and distribute link equity effectively.
6. Launching Without Testing
A rushed website launch can lead to technical errors, broken links, and poor user experiences that hurt your SEO.
The Mistake:
- Launching without conducting thorough testing.
- Missing critical issues like crawl errors or slow page speed.
How to Avoid It:
- Test your site thoroughly using tools like Google Search Console and PageSpeed Insights before launch.
- Conduct a soft launch to identify and fix any issues before the full rollout.
7. Overlooking Metadata
Metadata like titles and descriptions play a huge role in search engine rankings and click-through rates. A redesign often involves new pages or layouts, but forgetting to optimize metadata can hurt your SEO.
The Mistake:
- Leaving default or duplicate meta titles and descriptions.
- Not including target keywords in metadata.
How to Avoid It:
- Write unique, keyword-rich meta titles and descriptions for all pages.
- Use plugins like Yoast SEO (for WordPress) to easily manage metadata.
8. Not Updating Your Sitemap
An outdated XML sitemap can confuse search engines and delay the indexing of your new site structure.
The Mistake:
- Failing to update your sitemap after the redesign.
- Forgetting to submit the new sitemap to search engines.
How to Avoid It:
- Generate a new XML sitemap after the redesign using tools like Yoast SEO.
- Submit the updated sitemap to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.
9. Ignoring Core Web Vitals
Google’s Core Web Vitals measure page performance in terms of loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability. A poorly optimized redesign can negatively impact these metrics.
The Mistake:
- Overloading pages with heavy media or animations.
- Ignoring layout shifts that affect user experience.
How to Avoid It:
- Optimize images and use lazy loading for media-heavy pages.
- Test your Core Web Vitals using Lighthouse or PageSpeed Insights and address any issues.
10. Not Communicating With Your Team
A successful redesign requires collaboration between designers, developers, and marketers. Lack of communication can result in critical SEO aspects being overlooked.
The Mistake:
- Designers or developers making decisions without consulting the SEO team.
- Missing deadlines or overlooking important tasks due to poor coordination.
How to Avoid It:
- Hold regular meetings to align on goals and ensure everyone is on the same page.
- Create a shared checklist to track tasks and milestones.
Pro Tips for a Smooth Website Redesign
- Keep a Backup: Before making any changes, back up your current website to avoid losing important data.
- Monitor Performance: After launching the redesigned site, closely monitor your traffic and rankings using tools like Google Analytics.
- Announce the Redesign: Inform your audience about the changes and use the opportunity to drive traffic to your site.
Wrapping It Up
A website redesign is a great opportunity to improve your online presence, but it comes with risks if SEO isn’t a top priority. By avoiding these common mistakes and planning carefully, you can protect your rankings and ensure a seamless transition to your new site.
Remember, SEO is about consistency and precision. Every step you take during a redesign should be intentional and aligned with your overall strategy. With the right preparation, your redesigned site can look great and perform even better.
