Can You Handle Your Own Website Redesign?

19 Mar Can You Handle Your Own Website Redesign?

Website redesign is a necessary step for businesses to stay relevant in today’s digital landscape. However, it can also be a nightmare if not done properly, especially when it comes to maintaining your SEO profile after launch. Your website has been working to build your SEO profile since its inception, and any changes you make to your website must consider the impact on your SEO.

In this blog post, we will discuss the five things that your Detroit website design company needs to do to maintain your SEO profile after launching your new website.

1. Audit

The first step in maintaining your SEO profile after launching your new website is to conduct an audit. There are various tools available that you can use for this purpose, such as SEMRush, Screaming Frog, and a site auditor. These tools allow you to see the inner workings of your website and the current URL structure. Conducting an audit will enable you to make sure everything lines up when you launch the new website.

An audit will help you identify any issues with your website, such as broken links, missing pages, or duplicate content. Once you have identified these issues, you can work to resolve them before launching the new website. Addressing these issues will help you maintain your SEO profile and prevent any negative impact on your rankings.

2. Redirects

While it is not recommended to change any URLs on your website, sometimes it is necessary depending on your new website. If pages change URLs, then you need to create redirects. For WordPress, it is recommended to use Better Redirection. You need to compare your existing URL structure to your new one and create the redirects as needed.

Redirects are essential because they ensure that users and search engines are directed to the correct page when they try to access the old URL. Without redirects, users and search engines will receive a 404 error message, indicating that the page does not exist. This can negatively impact your SEO profile, as search engines may consider this a sign of a poorly maintained website.

3. Ranking Content

The content on your current website is ranking on Google, and you need to use a tool like SEMRush to determine what that ranking content is. Once you have identified the ranking content, make sure you retain that content on the same URL (or a redirected URL) so that Google can still find it. Google has labeled your website as having authority for the keywords, so you need to retain that authority by retaining the content on your website. It is never a good idea to change your existing content too much. It is best to redesign and add additional content.

Maintaining your ranking content is essential because it helps you retain your search engine rankings. Ranking content has already proven its relevance and usefulness to your audience, and removing it may cause you to lose that audience. Retaining your ranking content can also help you maintain your backlinks, which are essential for maintaining your SEO profile.

4. Tech Stack

Make sure your new website utilizes the latest technology. This ensures that your website is secure, free of spam, and not subject to server issues. An outdated technology stack can negatively impact your website’s performance, which in turn can negatively impact your SEO profile.

When updating your tech stack, make sure you consider the impact on your website’s performance. For example, using too many plugins can slow down your website, which can negatively impact your SEO profile. It is essential to strike a balance between the latest technology and website performance to ensure that your website remains fast and secure.

5. Speed

Website speed is a crucial factor that affects your SEO profile. Google considers website speed as one of its ranking factors. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that your new website is faster than your previous site. Going backwards and having a slower site will cause Google to give authority back to your competitors.

To improve your website speed, there are various steps you can take, such as optimizing images, minifying CSS and JavaScript files, and leveraging browser caching. It is also essential to choose a hosting provider that can deliver fast loading times. A slow website can negatively impact user experience and can result in high bounce rates. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that your website is fast and responsive.

Conclusion

Maintaining your SEO profile after launching a new website is crucial to ensure that your website continues to rank well in search engines. Your Detroit website design company should conduct an audit, create redirects, retain ranking content, update your tech stack, and improve website speed. By following these steps, you can ensure that your website remains fast, secure, and optimized for search engines.

A website redesign project can be a challenging and time-consuming task, but it can also be an opportunity to improve your website’s performance and user experience. Therefore, it is crucial to choose a Detroit website design company that has the expertise and experience to handle your project. By working with a professional web development company, you can ensure that your website redesign project is a success and that your SEO profile remains intact.

If you still feel unequipped to handle your website redesign or SEO, consider reaching out to a professional Detroit website development company for a free quote. They can help you create a plan to redesign your website while maintaining your SEO profile and ensuring that your website is fast, secure, and optimized for search engines.