Website redesign: the checklist to keep your SEO rankings

A new design, a faster website, clearer copy: a redesign is often an excellent decision. But it carries a risk that many discover too late. If it’s poorly prepared, the website can lose part of its Google rankings within days, and with them its enquiries.

The cause is almost always the same: pages that change address or disappear without Google being told. Here’s how to avoid it.

Before the redesign

1. List all existing pages

List every URL on the current website: pages, articles, product pages, PDFs. The sitemap, a crawling tool and Search Console help you make sure none are missed.

2. Identify the pages that perform

In Google Search Console and Google Analytics, find the pages that receive traffic, rank for important keywords or receive links from other websites. These are the ones to protect first.

3. Back up what exists

Keep a copy of the titles, meta descriptions, copy and structured data of these pages. If a high-performing page is rewritten, it should keep at least the elements that make it strong.

During the redesign

4. Keep URLs where possible

The best redirect is the one you don’t need. If the address of an important page can stay the same, keep it.

5. Prepare the 301 redirect plan

Every old URL that changes or disappears must redirect to the new page closest in content, with a permanent (301) redirect. Avoid redirecting everything to the home page: Google may treat those redirects as pages that can’t be found.

6. Don’t thin out your content

A clean design shouldn’t wipe out the copy that explains your services, service areas or FAQs. Less content often means fewer rankings, on Google and in AI answers.

7. Work on a non-indexed staging version

The site under construction must be protected (password or indexing blocked) to stop Google indexing a duplicate copy. And at launch, remember to remove that block: it’s a common mistake.

At launch

8. Go through the technical checklist

• 301 redirects work, with no chains or loops;
• the robots.txt file doesn’t block indexing;
• the new sitemap is submitted in Search Console;
• every page has a unique title and meta description;
• canonical and hreflang tags (if the site is multilingual) are correct;
• forms and conversion tracking work.

9. Update external links and listings

Google Business Profile, directories (local.ch, search.ch), social media, email signatures: links must point to the new addresses. See our article on Swiss business directories.

After the redesign

10. Monitor for several weeks

In Search Console, track 404 errors, indexing and the rankings of key pages. A temporary dip is common; a lasting drop signals a problem to fix quickly (missing redirect, blocked page, deleted content).

Frequently asked questions

Does a redesign always hurt SEO?

No. Well prepared, it often improves it thanks to a faster, better-structured and clearer website. The risk comes mainly from URLs changed without redirects.

How long does it take to recover rankings?

If the redirects are correct, fluctuations usually settle within a few weeks. Without redirects, recovery can take months.

Should I change domain name at the same time?

Avoid combining a redesign with a domain change if possible: each change adds risk. If it’s necessary, the same redirect logic applies, plus Search Console’s Change of Address tool.

A redesign without the risk

360 Web Agency carries out WordPress redesigns in French-speaking Switzerland with a complete SEO migration plan: inventory, redirects, launch checks and monitoring. Discover our SEO service or let’s talk about your project.