A new website can bring more enquiries, but it can also lose your Google rankings. What to check before launch so you don't lose what already works.
A new website is a great opportunity. A better look, faster loading, clearer copy. But if the change is made without preparation, Google traffic can drop sharply after launch. Most often it isn't a design mistake but small things that were forgotten.
1. Find out what brings you visits today
Before the change, look at which pages get the most visits and from which searches. Google Search Console and Google Analytics will help. These pages must have an equivalent on the new website, ideally with the same or better content.
2. 301 redirects
If page URLs change, every old URL must lead to the new one via a 301 redirect. Otherwise Google and people following links end up on a 404 error and rankings are lost. Make the list of old URLs in advance, not after launch.
3. Don't cut content blindly
Shorter copy looks modern, but if content that answered people's questions disappears, so do the rankings. Edit, simplify and add to the content, but keep what matters.
4. Tracking must work from day one
Check that the new website tracks traffic, submitted forms, calls and purchases. And that the cookie consent banner is set up correctly. Without it you won't be able to compare whether the new website is better.
5. Speed and mobile
Google evaluates websites based on their mobile version and also looks at how quickly a page loads and responds. The new website should be better than the old one in this respect, not worse. Test it on a real phone, not just on a computer.
6. Technical details before launch
- The staging version must not remain blocked for search engines after launch.
- One main website address (with or without www, always over HTTPS).
- Page titles and descriptions for Google on every important page.
- A sitemap (sitemap.xml) submitted in Google Search Console.
- Forms deliver e-mails, including to Gmail.
7. Monitor the first weeks after launch
For the first two to four weeks, watch errors in Search Console, traffic and enquiries. Small fluctuations are normal, a significant drop is a sign that something is missing. The sooner you catch it, the easier it is to fix.
A good redesign is like moving house: everything important is packed, labelled and unpacked in the new place. Nothing is thrown away just because it didn't fit in a box.
That's why every redesign we do starts with an audit of the current website and a list of redirects. Only then do we start designing.
