B2B web redesign · SEO
How to prepare a site redesign without losing your SEO
A redesign loses organic traffic almost every time it has not been thought of as a full-fledged SEO project. Here's how to frame a B2B site redesign without losing the positioning already acquired.
Why a redesign loses organic traffic
A redesigned site rarely loses traffic because of its new design. He loses some because elements invisible to the project team, but essential to Google, have not been reported.
Change of URL without redirection, page deleted without checking its traffic, sitemap never updated: these are technical details, but they are the ones that decide whether the positioning acquired survives the redesign.
What to audit before launching the project
The audit is done before choosing the new tree structure, not after. Six elements must be identified upstream.
Inventory of indexed URLs
Each URL indexed by Google must be identified before any deletion or change of structure.
Pages that actually generate traffic
Search Console shows which pages, even old ones, are still generating visits and conversions.
Content to keep, merge or rewrite
Content that ranks well deserves to be kept or rewritten, never simply deleted.
Redirection plan required
Each old URL must be associated with its new address before going live, not after.
Existing tags and structured data
Titles, meta descriptions and structured data already in place serve as the basis for the new version.
Backlinks pointing to existing pages
Every external link pointing to an old URL loses its value if that page disappears without a proper redirect.
Technical risks to avoid during the overhaul
There are five common mistakes during a migration, each with a simple best practice to avoid.
The checklist to validate before going online
Six points to check before switching the new site into production.
- All 301 redirects are tested one by one.
- The new XML sitemap is generated and ready to be submitted.
- Google Search Console is verified on the new site structure.
- The robots.txt file authorizes the indexing of the new site.
- The meta tags and structured data have been included.
- Analytics tracking is installed and functional before launch.
What to watch out for after posting
Post-launch monitoring is done in three stages, over the first three months.
Week 1
The sitemap is submitted and the indexing of new pages is monitored day by day.
Weeks 2 to 4
Positions and organic traffic are compared to the situation before the redesign, page by page.
Months 2 and 3
Pages that have lost positioning are subject to targeted adjustments, not a new redesign.
A redesign without losing the acquired SEO?
I design B2B site redesigns by integrating the SEO audit from the framing stage, before any choice of technology or structure.
Discover the B2B website redesign →