A well-designed website can make all the difference in converting visitors into customers. However, not every website starts off well-designed. Some businesses may have put together a very basic website or had it done on a budget when they first began. Of course, there is nothing wrong with that — it is a very common occurrence among new businesses.
However, as a business grows, establishes its brand, and acquires more website traffic, a website redesign should be considered. One main concern that a business may have when considering a website redesign is whether it will hurt its SEO. After all, SEO is an incredibly important part of ensuring traffic is coming to the site. The answer to this question can vary depending on several factors. So, let’s take a closer look at how website redesign can affect SEO and how to minimize the effects.
Website Redesign SEO: What is Involved in a Website Redesign?
A common step of a website redesign is updating the aesthetics of the site. Yet, it is also much more than that. In fact, there can be several elements involved in a website redesign, including the following.
- Aesthetics: The looks, feel, and general design of the web pages and overall site. This can include changing fonts, colors, layouts, and more.
- Technical: Technical changes or upgrades could also occur during a redesign, such as enhancing optimization and page speed, improving mobile capabilities, and more.
- Structural or Functional: Structural or functional changes involve improving the way the site operates or is used. This can include more intuitive navigation, URL changes, usability, or SEO.
- Content: Updating, changing, or removing content can be another important part of a redesign to ensure it is better suited for the audience and SEO.
How Website Redesign Services Can Affect SEO
As mentioned above, a common concern for those considering website redesign services is how it will affect the site’s SEO. Realistically, a redesign can have some negative effects on SEO, but the most impact will only happen when it is done incorrectly or without planning. These negative effects include the following.
- Lowered organic traffic as a result of changes
- Keyword ranking fluctuations
- Broken links or errors
- Removed backlinks
- Lowered optimization or speed
Fortunately, with the right strategy and website redesign services, the positives will far outweigh the negatives.
How to Redesign a Website – Strategies for Preserving and Improving SEO During Website Redesign
Let’s take a look at some of the best steps any business can take to preserve and even improve SEO throughout a redesign.
Comprehensive Planning for Redesign
The first step before beginning any redesign is to create a solid plan for the process. This includes a thorough review of the site and SEO to establish current performance and where improvements can be made.
The audit includes benchmarking all relevant metrics, such as traffic, keyword rankings, bounce rate, and more. Then, set clear goals for the SEO during the redesign.
Steps for During the Redesign
Once the redesign is underway, you’ll want to follow certain steps. Firstly, there is the matter of establishing current and well-maintained URL structures. If maintaining all URLs isn’t possible, then it’s necessary to implement proper redirects. Additional steps include:
- Adding or improving mobile-friendliness and responsiveness
- Optimizing overall site speed
- Preserving current SEO elements like headings, meta-tags, and backlinks
After Redesign
Once the general redesign is completed, that doesn’t mean the process is complete. Then comes ensuring that the redesign is functioning as it should, which includes:
- Testing the new site for proper indexing
- Monitoring metrics closely (traffic, ranking, and bounce rates)
- Updating sitemaps across search engines
- Listening to user feedback to find any potential issues or improve functionality
The above is a very simple summary of the redesign process. Yet, by following the above general steps, a redesign should avoid hurting any current SEO. Moreover, it should offer significant improvements to SEO and the site’s functionality.
Common Reasons for a Website Redesign
There are multiple reasons that a business may choose to redesign its website. Here are a few to consider.
- Outdated Design: Some websites may have been initially designed quite some time ago. This can mean that the general design is outdated, navigation is difficult, or the site does not feature intuitive elements. Improving these factors can increase user interest and engagement, inherently improving SEO.
- Rebranding or Scaling: When a business undergoes a rebrand or evolution, this will often entail a need for a website redesign. After all, they need their site to reflect the new or updated brand identity. This can include significant changes like a domain name change, branding element update, or messaging overhaul.
- Modernization for Mobile: Mobile focus is a must in the modern digital age, with it accounting for over half of internet traffic. Older sites may need a redesign to ensure it is optimized and responsive for mobile visitors and offers a seamless experience to that of desktop usage.
- Performance Enhancement: In the modern digital era, users want their information and functionality fast. Technology has improved at such a rate that people expect snappy performance. This is why some sites may need a redesign mainly to optimize performance through better hosting, efficient coding, and more.
- SEO Improvements: In some cases, the SEO may be the primary issue. A website redesign can help to fix non-performing content, broken links, complex URL trees, and more.
- Switching Platforms: A business may transition its site to a new platform for several reasons, such as adding more features, functionality, or cost efficiency. Transitioning platforms will often require a redesign to ensure the site functions well on that platform. While this can be a good move, it can lead to inefficiencies if the transition isn’t managed properly.
The Bottom Line on Redesign and SEO
So, the bottom line is that yes, redesign can affect SEO negatively in some circumstances. However, when a redesign is done correctly with a focus on preserving and improving SEO, it is much less of a risk.
By following the above steps, any business can ensure they bring their site to a more modern and optimized version without destroying traffic or ranking. Depending on the current state of the site, a redesign could even significantly boost SEO metrics and improve functionality like never before.
So, we hope the above helps you and your business determine the best path forward and plan for redesigning your site.
Graphem Solutions Offers Website Redesign Services You Can Trust
Attempting a website redesign without the right team or professionals can potentially be a disaster for SEO. Fortunately, if you don’t have an in-house team to complete the redesign, Graphem Solutions is here to help. Our team is comprised of experts in everything web design to ensure your site’s SEO is properly managed while the redesign occurs.
Moreover, we will work closely with you to ensure that the newly designed site meets all of your needs and will scale with your business. We understand how important your website is to your business and we want to ensure it is better than ever before. To learn more about our website design services, you can fill out our online form or call us at 1-800-590-0175. We look forward to helping you design a perfect website to represent your business.
