How to Redesign a Website without Losing SEO Results
From making your site more user-friendly to presenting a new look and feel that’s in line with your current business model, there are many valid and worthwhile reasons to update your existing website. Regardless of why you’ve opted to take this step, you don’t want to take an SEO hit in the process. The experienced professionals from Saba SEO, one of the top digital marketing and SEO companies San Diego businesses rely on for world-class innovation and expertise, offer these tips for keeping SEO afloat during your website redesign.
Work from a Copy of Your Site
Give yourself some added peace of mind by creating a temporary URL and working from a copy of your website. This way, you can make changes while your existing site remains accessible.
Do Proper Redirects
Redirects are important because they tell search engines and searchers where to focus their attention. Plus, Google won’t penalize you if you’re doing proper 301 redirects to new pages. This is also an effective way to direct searchers to the right pages.
Update Your Sitemap
The sitemap lists everything related to your site. It’s also what search engines use to get a better understanding of your various web pages. Make sure you’ve updated your sitemap to reflect the changes you’ve made.
Test Things First
Before you go live with your newly redesigned website, test everything to make sure the user experience is a good one and that everything is working well SEO-wise. Pay particular attention to:
• Page load times
• Navigation abilities
• Visual elements
• Clickable features
• Accessibility for mobile devices
Once you feel confident your newly redesigned website is ready, make the official switch to your new site. It can also be helpful to save a Google Analytics report of your site’s SEO performance prior to making changes. This way, you can determine if there are any SEO issues to address once your changes have been made. Another way to keep SEO afloat during website redesign is to do your updates in stages so you can closely monitor results.
For expert advice on any aspect of SEO, digital marketing, and web development, reach out to the knowledgeable professionals at Saba SEO, a top-tier San Diego web design, digital marketing, and SEO agency. We’ve worked with businesses around the world to develop innovative, state-of-the-art apps, websites, PPC campaigns, SEO strategies, and mobile SEO designs. Call one of our SEO specialists today at 858-277-1717.