Maintaining SEO During a Website Redesign

April 3, 2014

A website redesign can be a great boost to a website, but only if it’s done with proper SEO in mind. To successfully execute your site redesign without compromising months or years of investment in SEO, follow the tips below.

Evaluate Your Strategy

A site redesign presents the perfect opportunity to address page level engagement and conversion issues. Determine which keywords and landing pages are providing the most value, and which ones are providing the least. Consider hiring a development team, like Fasturtle, to correctly focus on content creation, lead generation, and audience engagement with expert knowledge in custom website design. They will keep your focus on SEO and functionality during the redesign process.

Create a Sitemap File
Create HTML and XML sitemaps to help search engines discover any new content and existing content that has moved to new URLs.

Keep the Same URL Structure

The only reason to switch to a new URL is if it will lead to a significant increase in organic traffic. Switching to a new URL during a redesign sacrifices the hard-earned benefits of any authority seen by Google, links from outside sites and real-life visitors. If changes to the URL structure are necessary, implementing page level 301 redirects is a necessity. A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect from one URL to another.

Maintain Important Keywords and Pages

Determine which keywords bring the most traffic to the site and which keywords lead to the highest number of conversions. These keywords are imperative to include in the new redesigned site. Also, identify the pages that rank well in Google, the pages that drive the most visitors to the site, and the pages that lead to the most conversions.

Maintain On-Page Optimization

With all the moving parts, revising, and adding new content that comes with a website redesign, take time to ensure keyword changes are made to the appropriate pages, check for broken links and incorporate target keywords for each page.

Search engines and people like fresh content and thoughtfully redesigned websites, so don’t be scared to make a change. When in doubt, speak with an expert about search engine optimization programs. A thoughtful redesign of your website will create value that far outweighs any temporary ranking adjustment that may happen when you do the upgrade.

If you are interested in working with a knowledgeable and reputable professional to help with your site’s redesign or online marketing in Phoenix, look no further than Fasturtle. With over a decade of experience, we know the importance of search engine optimization programs. We offer the best website design in Phoenix, including customized search engine optimization programs, custom website design, email marketing and beyond. With expertise in multiple areas of online marketing in Phoenix, our Fasturtle team is fully equipped with the tools to lead a successful redesign of your website. Give our custom website design gurus a call (888) 468-8785 or contact us online to learn more about our search engine optimization programs.

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