Launching a new website? Do these 5 things for your SEO
Switching Over To A New Website Can Be Exciting… But Don’t Forget To Safeguard Against Tanking Your SEO
Take These Steps Prepared by the SEO experts at Agave Studio to make sure your new site doesn’t hurt your SEO strategy
Launching a new website with a brand new design is an exciting time, but moving to a new platform or new site can have a detrimental affect on your search rankings. We here at Agave have compiled a list of things you can do to help your new site perform just as well, if not better than your old one. Check out our tips below and let us know if you have any extra things to add.
URL Redirects
The main thing to consider when launching your new website is to ensure all of your old links redirect to a relevant page, even if it is your home page. We use a backlink checker to see where links are going to on our clients’ sites to ensure none break. So what is a URL redirect? It is essentially an addition to your site that tells a browser to reroute a user from an old URL to a new one if the new one doesn’t match the old. We recommend using a spreadsheet to keep track of all your URL redirects. This also applies if you ever change a URL on your site or you disable an old page. Adding a custom 404 page can also ensure your users are directed to the correct place and prevent bounces.
Try to stay on the same Domain
A real quick add on to the previous point, your new site should hopefully be on the same domain as your previous one. If you do end up using a new domain for your site, make sure to let Google know your site is moving.
Matching Keyword Research
Doing some updated keyword research and seeing where your site is currently ranking can help with a transition to a new site. Ensuring your meta titles and descriptions match your old site and new site can help Google recognize that your site is the same and has been updated a bit too. This is also a great opportunity to see what isn’t working for your SEO strategy and make some updates to your keywords. Seeing where you are succeeding with your SEO is paramount to a strong SEO strategy.
Updating Content
Google and other search engines like to see your site being updated on a consistent basis. That’s why taking the time to rewrite your content when moving to a new site can actually help your search engine rankings. Adding some additional blog posts and expanding on your services or products pages are a great way to update your site.
Resubmit Your Site To Google
Last but not least, make sure to resubmit your new sitemap to Google Search Console. This essentially tells Google that you’ve updated their site and they’ll send their search bots out. Submitting your sitemap to Google is important for search results to make sure your pages are showing up correctly.
Of course, moving a site on your own is tough work. When you work with an expert in redesigning sites and moving to new platforms, like the SEO experts at Agave Studio, we will ensure your new site performs just as well as your old one if you’re on our Agave or Saguaro package. We also can help with this if you are on one of our SEO packages. If you need help with a new site or your site’s SEO then reach out to us today for a free consultation and site audit.
