Summary: Redesigns can wipe out rankings if done carelessly. Follow this plan to protect traffic during a website redesign or migration.
A redesign is a chance to improve conversions and speed — but a poorly planned launch can cost months of organic traffic.
Before the redesign
- Crawl the current site and export every URL.
- Benchmark rankings, traffic and conversions by page.
- Identify top pages by traffic, links and conversions — these must be protected.
- Save metadata — titles, descriptions, headings and schema.
During design and development
- Keep URLs the same where possible.
- Map every old URL that changes to the most relevant new URL.
- Preserve or improve the content on high-performing pages.
- Build on a staging site blocked from indexing.
At launch
- Implement 301 redirects for every changed URL.
- Remove staging noindex and robots blocks.
- Submit the new XML sitemap in Search Console.
- Test forms, tracking and key pages.
After launch
- Monitor Search Console for crawl errors and indexing changes.
- Watch rankings and traffic daily for the first two weeks.
- Fix broken links and missed redirects quickly.
FAQs
Will traffic dip after a redesign?
A small, temporary fluctuation is common. Significant drops usually point to missing redirects or content changes.
How long should redirects stay in place?
Keep them permanently whenever possible.
Should I change my domain at the same time?
Avoid combining a redesign and domain change unless necessary — it adds risk.
