{"id":15142,"date":"2021-05-08T09:58:41","date_gmt":"2021-05-08T16:58:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sfwpexperts.com\/?p=15142"},"modified":"2021-05-24T08:10:00","modified_gmt":"2021-05-24T15:10:00","slug":"how-to-redesign-a-wordpress-website-without-losing-seo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sfwpexperts.com\/how-to-redesign-a-wordpress-website-without-losing-seo\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Redesign A WordPress Website Without Losing SEO?\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

WordPress website redesign is considered one of the key aspects to get online success. Today every website running on the internet looks to compete with the leading website but due to some or other factors, they fail to do it. By redesigning a website you can create a research-based and user-centric website design that can offer your competitive edge over your competitors. But the whole WordPress website redesigning process can be successful only when you save your website from losing SEO.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Yes you read it right, businesses that are getting their website redesigned focus only on the design part but they forget that their website can come across traffic and rank drop related if the design is not optimized keeping SEO in mind. If you are planning to get your existing WordPress website r<\/span>edesigned by an experienced WordPress web design company<\/a><\/span> then you have made the right decision but remember that your website does not come across rank drop or traffic drop-related issues after getting the website redesigned.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That is the reason why we have created this article to help you know how you can avoid traffic or rank drop-related issues after getting your WordPress website redesigned. Not only that but we will also highlight different reasons that cause WordPress websites to lose their rank and traffic after getting it redesigned. So make sure you stick till the end of this article to explore some of the important points\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you’re reading this article then you might have already redesigned your existing WordPress website. But if you are still in the research process then you make sure to check our blog on:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Website Redesign Guide: How to Redesign A Website In 2021?<\/span><\/a>
\nEcommerce Website Redesign: 10 Tips To consider before redesigning your online store In 2021<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

An overview of traffic drop after the website redesign<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"sfwpexperts.com-How-To-Redesign-A-WordPress-Website-Without-Losing-SEO\"<\/p>\n

Whether you are running a standard website or an ecommerce website, getting the website redesign<\/a> has become one of the crucial aspects to get online success. No matter how effective and attractive the WordPress website you had during the launch of your website. As time passes the design and technology you are using in your website also get outdated. In today’s competitive marketplace where websites and businesses are fighting to stay on the top, you can’t afford to offer an outdated WordPress website design to your audience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Today every internet user scrolls different numbers of websites which means they can easily differentiate between an attractive and outdated WordPress website. That is the reason why it’s essential for every website to redesign their website at an interval of 3-4 years to stay competitive. By redesigning your website you offer a\u00a0 fresh look to your audience and also rejuvenate your website appearance which encourages them to explore more about your website and stay connected.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Most of the newly started businesses opt for DIY or freelancer to get their website design but as the traffic grown businesses look to enhance the website effectiveness by getting it redesigned by experienced WordPress website design professionals. If you have not planned to redesign your website then we recommend you get it done as soon as possible. But remember to avoid the most common mistake that most businesses commit that directly impacts their website SEO after the redesigning process.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you are reading this article then your website must have come across various SEO-related issues after the redesign. Not only your WordPress website but there are many websites on the internet that come across these types of SEO-related issues after the redesign. It is true that every WordPress website owner feels excited after getting their WordPress website redesigned thinking that they will be able to drive more traffic and conversion on their WordPress website. Yes if the redesigning part is done in the right way then you might be able to drive more traffic and conversion on your website.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But sometimes due to small mistakes and ignorance the redesigned WordPress website fails to offer the desired results. Instead of gaining traffic, websites start losing traffic and ranking after the website redesign process. That is the reason why your goal should be to avoid changes that can break the SEO or make it difficult for search engine bots to crawl your website design more smartly. Remember if the search engine bot faces difficulties in crawling your website then they will fail to understand your website purpose that will directly impact your website SEO.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So if your redesigned WordPress website is experiencing problem-related with SEO then make sure you stick till the end of the article as we will be highlighting some of the essential points on how you can avoid traffic drop-related issues after getting your WordPress website redesigned. Before we move ahead we would like to offer a detailed idea about what causes the website to lose traffic.<\/span><\/p>\n

What causes a website to lose traffic after a website redesign?<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

If you are running a fully functioning WordPress website for a long time then you must be aware of the fact that rank drop and traffic drop-related issues are something that no website wishes to come across. Sometimes this type of disease occurs due to an unoptimized website or ineffective SEO strategy. But if you are losing your traffic after getting your WordPress redesigned then that something you need to look into. Because a website plans to redesign its website with a goal to drive more traffic and conversion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But if your WordPress website is doing totally the opposite then before identifying the solution you need to get a better understanding of why your website is facing traffic and rank drop-related issues. Most of the time websites face traffic drop-related issues because the website introduces new content and updates. If your website is facing instant traffic and rank drop then it might be because the search engine bot didn\u2019t crawl your website.\u00a0 Mainly if it’s less than a week and your WordPress website is showing a 10% decline in traffic then you don\u2019t have to worry about the SEO-related issues in your WordPress website.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Recuse search engines crawl every website to understand its purpose. So it’s natural to expect that your website can come across these issues after the launch. But if it’s been two or more weeks and your website is failing to get ranked and drive the desired amount of traffic then we recommend you to every small aspect that can harm your WordPress website traffic. Before we start highlighting how you can save your website from traffic drop-related issues let\u2019s get a better understanding of what causes these types of problems.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

1. WordPress Website Architecture\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

When it comes to creating an <\/span>attractive an<\/span>d <\/span>conversion-centric website design<\/span><\/a> then your WordPress website structure plays a crucial role in making your website friendly for search engines. Most of the time the site architecture you create and offer makes it difficult for search to crawl your website more smartly. The WordPress website structure refers to how pages in your WordPress website are interlinked to each other and the way it’s organized.\u00a0 If you are running a WordPress website for a long then you must be aware of the fact that a search engine bot crawls every page in your website including the internal links present on your web pages.<\/span><\/p>\n

Not only that but search engines also pass the value depending on the internal link you are adding to your WordPress website. So, if the site structure is not arranged in a hierarchical way then it can directly impact your WordPress website SEO. That is the reason why it’s said that when you start to redesign your WordPress website then the organization of the pages will play a major role in deciding your website SEO after launch. Make sure every page in your WordPress website has a different purpose and target for different keywords.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When you redesign your WordPress website then there are high chances that your internal linking structure might change. That means the top-performing or high-value pages in your WordPress website will have fewer pages linked to it or the internal link organization might be offering less value to the low-performing pages. If that is the case then you need to look into your site structure because if the value is not passed from higher pages to the lower pages then it could lead to a lower score which will directly affect your website ranking.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you are making changes in the site structure then you can look into creating a strong sitemap for your WordPress website. Once you have that then it will automatically become easy for you to highlight your site structure in front of a search engine bot. This way you will be able to speed up your WordPress website indexing and quickly restore the traffic level.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you are not more into the technical field and looking to deal with traffic and rank drop-related issues then it’s always recommended you consult with our highly experienced SEO<\/span>\u00a0and <\/span>website design professional<\/span><\/a> to get rid of issues related to<\/span> WordPress website SEO.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Redirects not done in the right way\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

Another common reason that affects the WordPress website SEO after the website redesign is \u201cWebsite Redirection\u201d. Most of the time the redirects are not done in the right way that directly impacts the WordPress website traffic as well as rank. When you plan to redesign your website then it’s essential to set up the proper redirects in your WordPress website. Because it redirects the user to the new page that you have created for the older version and also indicates the search engine about the page you are looking to rank in.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you are using the same older URL for the web pages then you do not have to worry about redirection. But if you are making even a small change in the URL then you need to set up proper redirection. The 301 redirects are used to guide the search engine from passing the ranking from the old page to the new page and also informs the search engine bit where the newly created version of the page is located in your WordPress website.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Without redirection, the search engine will fail to analyze that you have created the updated version of the old page and will start considering it as the new page in your WordPress website. This way you will be failing to transfer the credits of the older page to the updated page. If you have done the SEO of your WordPress website then you must be aware of the fact that SEO is not an easy process it needs the site owner\u2019s efforts and patience with an <\/span>effective SEO strategy<\/span><\/a> to gain authority and rank the pages in the search engine results.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So during the redesign, if you plan to change the website URL or move the older page to the new location then it’s essential to inform the search engine about it by setting up the proper redirects.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you are looking to identify whether the redirects are the primary reason behind WordPress website rank and traffic drop then we recommend you to check your google console. Open your webmaster tool then navigate to the crawl eros and navigate to the \u201cnot found tab.\u00a0 If any of the web pages in your WordPress website is without redirects then you will be able to find the same in the \u201cnot found\u201d tab. Depending on the result you can either plan to fix it on your own or take the help of the <\/span>WordPress website design company<\/span><\/a> for your website.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Site copy changes\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

When you plan to redesign your website then there are high chances that you might also plan to change the copy of your WordPress website. When we say site copy then we are not implying correcting the grammatical mistakes or other minor changes in the website. Instead, we are talking about changing the whole copy of the WordPress website including the primary and secondary topics, paragraphs, heading, and more. Most of the WordPress website owners focus on changing the design but site owners have started to realize that redesign is not only about making changes in the design but also includes site copy.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The main goal behind changing the site copy is to engage more and more site visitors and also enhance the crawlability of your WordPress website. Remember when you start creating the copy of your WordPress then you need to keep both users as well as the search engines in mind. Most of the time websites keep their target audience in mind but forget about the search engine which creates more and more SEO-related problems. When you create the site copy you need to create and place it strategically so that it becomes easy for the search engine bot to get a better understanding of your site content.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Until and unless search engines understand the purpose of your website they will not be able to rank your pages on the search engine result page. That is the reason why it is said that most of the time making changes in the site copy becomes the primary reason behind SEO-related issues. When you make changes in the copy of the WordPress website then the search engine evaluates every web page to check the relevancy of the page with the target topic. If the target keyword is not placed appropriately then it can directly impact your ranking and traffic.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today the whole google algorithm is created to help users find more accurate information that they are looking for in the search engine. That is the reason why search engines look into every small aspect of your site content so that they are able to offer more relevant information. If you wonder what might be harming your WordPress website SEO the site copy changes can be another issue that you can include in your list. So make sure your WordPress website includes essential keywords in the header tag, body, alt text, and many more.<\/span><\/p>\n

The reason why we recommend you hire an experienced <\/span>SEO and<\/span> WordPress web design company<\/span><\/a> for your business is that the value they will bring to your website and business can never be compared with DIY.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Pages in your website deleted (Lost Links)\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

The content gap is another reason that can lead to website rank and traffic drop-related issues. If you are deleting a page in your website then you might be deleting just a page but if you see it from search engine bot view then you are creating the content gap which can lead to SEO-related problems. When it comes to redesigning a WordPress website then every site owner has access to a huge range of data using which they try to eliminate every element and page that is becoming a barrier in converting site visitors.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you plan to do the same then it\u2019s recommended to understand your website structure before deleting the data. Most of the time site owners delete pages without understanding the structure of their WordPress website. If you are doing the same then you are not only disturbing your website structure but also creating the content cap that can directly impact your WordPress website SEO. The pages you delete also eliminate the links that you have gained from a different website.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Remember the links you gain for different websites help in building your website authority. You might be getting a single link from a higher authority website on one of your pages but the authority is passed to other pages in your website. This way you are able to create your website authority. But if you are deleting the page then you might also end up losing your website authority which will lead to lower website rank and traffic. If you are running a WordPress website for a long time then you must be aware of how much time, effort, and money the website spends in creating the authority.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That is the reason why we recommend looking into every small aspect of your website before deleting the pages. So if you wonder why your website is losing traffic and rank then it can be another important reason that you can take into account. Yes, this particular reason might sound similar to the able one but if you are running a WordPress website for a long time then you will be able to easily differentiate between both points.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you are getting your WordPress website redesign by a <\/span>highly experienced<\/span> WordPress website design company<\/span><\/a> then you don’t have to worry about these issues as they will look into every internal and outbound link before deleting any page in your WordPress website.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There might be a number of reasons that can lead to website rank drop-related problems above we have listed some common problems that can lead to WordPress website SEO problems. Next, we will be highlight how you can eliminate these SEO-related issues after getting your WordPress website redesigned so make sure you go through every listed point.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How To Redesign A WordPress Website Without Losing SEO?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Most WordPress websites come across traffic drop-related issues after getting their website redesigned. Because there are a number of factors that are altered during the WordPress website redesign process starting from the codes to copy and pages. If these aspects are not properly managed then it can lead to major problems like it can negatively impact your website SEO and also harm the long-term growth of your WordPress website.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"sfwpexperts.com-How-To-Redesign-A-WordPress-Website-Without-Losing-SEO5\"<\/p>\n

Well, it’s not the same case with every WordPress website. If your WordPress website is taking the necessary measures during the redesigning then your website might not come across these types of issues. Most of the time due to lack of experience and knowledge, websites face traffic drop-related issues after launching a redesigned website. In the coming paragraphs, we will be highlighting some of the important points that you can consider to avoid SEO related problems:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

1. List all the pages of your old WordPress website<\/b><\/h3>\n

The first and foremost thing we recommended you do is to download or create the URL structure of your WordPress website. As we have mentioned earlier when you redesign your WordPress website then there are a lot of changes that you might make to your WordPress website. There are high chances that these changes can also impact the site structure of your WordPress website.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Thet is the reason why it\u2019s essential to have the proper URL structure of your WordPress website. To do that you can create a list of all the pages from your old website so that you are well informed whether the pages are present on the new website or not. If you fail to have the backup of the URL of your old website then there are high chances that you might run into some or other kind of risk which can impact your website ranking.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you are finding it hard to create the list of URL structure manually then remember you are making use of WordPress and there is almost every plugin for some or other kinds of features. So to create the URL structure you can make use of the Yoast SEO plugin which can help you to offer a well-structured sitemap of your old WordPress website. Not only that but you can also have the backup of your old website so that if anything goes wrong with the design you can make your old website live until the newly designed WordPress website is ready for search engine as well as the audience.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Always make Use Of temporary URL<\/b><\/h3>\n

When it comes to redesigning a WordPress website then the first and foremost thing we recommend you do is to make use of a temporary URL. Implementing changes directly into your live WordPress website can harm your website ranking as well as organic traffic. If your redesigned WordPress website contains any kind of small errors then it can directly affect your website user experience which can impact your ranking and organic traffic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That is the reason why it is recommended to make use of a temporary URL for your WordPress website. These types of temporary URLs will act as a staging site where you can test all your changes for their effectiveness. This way you will be able to avoid all the errors in your redesigned WordPress website that can harm your WordPress website SEO. Making direct changes to your live WordPress website can take away the traffic you are getting on your older design.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When you start working with the temporary URL then we recommend you to keep all the website copy out of search engines reach. You can do this either by implementing the Robot <meta? Tag in your WordPress website or directly restrict the access of search engines bot from your server by password protecting the web page with the help of the .htaccess file.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This way if any user or search engine bot tries to access the web pages they will first have to enter the password then enter it into your WordPress website. You can also make use of password-protected plugins to restrict entry into your temporary URL website.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you need more technical assistance related to<\/span> a website redesign or SEO<\/span> then it\u2019s always recommended to take the help of<\/span> a highly experienced SEO company<\/a> and WordPress website design company<\/a><\/span>\u00a0that can assist you in creating an effective and conversion-centric WordPress website for your business.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Website Structure\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

The next thing we recommend you look into is your website structure. As we have mentioned the website structure you create and offer to your audience will play a major role in deciding your WordPress traffic and conversion. Today most WordPress website owners commit a mistake with the structure during the website redesign. These types of mistakes result in low search engine ranking which automatically impacts your website\u2019s organic traffic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Once you are done with testing your redesigned WordPress website in the temporary URL then the next thing you will look into is making your redesigned WordPress website live for your audience. Before you do that it is always recommended to check your redesigned WordPress website structure whether it aligns with the structure of your older website in terms of hierarchy, internal linking, and many more.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If your redesigned WordPress website has some or other kind of problem with the structure then your website might not get indexed properly which can lead to lower traffic and conversion. That is the reason why WordPress websites should pay special attention to the structure of the website. Mainly if you are redesigning a fully functioning ecommerce website then you need to ensure that your website is structured in the right way.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Remember every small mistake can lead to a major problem. That is the reason why we recommend you to get your WordPress website redesigned by an<\/span> experienced<\/span> WordPress web design company<\/span><\/a> that can help you to create a user-centric website design<\/a> that drives more traffic and conversion on your website.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Deleting page and moving them to new URL (Use 301 redirects)<\/b><\/h3>\n

If you are running a WordPress website for a long time then you must be aware of the fact that small changes in URLs can destroy all the internal and outbound links. If you are moving the older page to a new URL or making changes in the URL then it will have a major impact on your SEO if not done with the right strategy. The URL of your WordPress website will act as the address of your page, if you make changes to the URL then your site visitor will not be able to land on the right page.<\/span><\/p>\n

If pages in your WordPress are performing well then you might not plan to delete or change the design or the URL of the page. But most of the time WordPress websites have to make changes in the URL\u00a0 and shift the pages to the new URL. If you have in-depth knowledge of website SEO<\/a> then you are likely to see it as a huge SEO mistake but with the right strategy, you can regain the backlinks as well as ranking. If you are planning to change your WordPress web page URL or move to the new page then it\u2019s always recommended to make use of 301 redirects.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Even If you are moving the pages to a different section, 301 will redirect the search engine and user to the newly created page or to the new URL. On the other hand, if you are failing to set up 301 redirects then your older link will redirect the user and search engine to the\u00a0 404 not found error page which can result in poor user experience and lower ranking. The 301 redirects ensure that your website is able to drive some amount of traffic and regain the same ranking on the search engine result page.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you are using 301 redirect5 for any page in your WordPress website then the user will get redirected to the new page even though they click the older link on your social media page or on some other website. You can also make use of 404 if you think any of your WordPress website pages are useless for your website. Most of the WordPress website redirects the user to the home page, if you are doing the same then we recommend you to avoid that instead, you can make use of 404 not found.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Remember the redirection is one of the crucial aspects of WordPress website design that is the reason why most of the redesigned WordPress websites come across traffic and rank drop-related issues. Making the right strategy for your WordPress redirection can save your website from SEO-related issues after the launch. If every redirection is done in the right way then your website will never face SEO-related problems.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Thet is the reason why we recommend you to hire a <\/span>highly<\/span> experienced<\/span> WordPress web design company<\/span><\/a> that can help you to create the right redirection structure so that your website is able to drive more traffic and conversion instead of losing it.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Always make SEO the core part website redesign process\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

When it comes to making a WordPress website redesign then multiple steps involve conducting in-depth market research, competitor research, analyzing existing data, creating site plans, and many more. One thing that most WordPress websites forget while redesign their WordPress website is creating an effective plan for SEO. Yes, every website during the redesign has access to a wide range of data that can be utilized to create an effective website design plan that helps in enhancing WordPress website traffic along with performance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But remember a redesigned website will only be able to get desired if SEO is included during the planning phase. Because when it comes to redesigning your website will not have much to lose but if the redesign is not done with proper SEO strategy then you might end up losing the existing rank and traffic after launch. That is the reason why we recommend WordPress website owners hand their website to an<\/span> experienced<\/span> website design company<\/span><\/a> that has their in-house SEO team.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Because during the redesigning process the WordPress website redesign team needs to be in touch with the SEO strategies throughout the process. By doing this you will ensure that your WordPress website does not come across any kind of issues after the launch. So if you haven\u2019t redesigned your WordPress website then we strictly recommend you to include SEO as the core part of planning to eliminate all the risk that most WordPress websites come across while designing their WordPress website.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Fixing internal links in your redesigned WordPress website<\/b><\/h3>\n

Internal linking-related problems one of the most common issues that WordPress websites come across after getting the website redesigned. These types of issues can directly impact your WordPress website SEO. After getting your WordPress website redesigned and before making it live for search engines and your prospects it’s recommended to fix your website\u2019s internal linking architecture. If you are deleting or removing any of the web pages in your WordPress website then it’s recommended that you remove all the internal links pointed to that particular page.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And if you are directing users from the old URL to the new URL then you need to make changes for the updated URL well. Now you must be getting an equation that is redirecting the user from the old URL to the new URL with the help of 301 redirects then why do you need to make changes in the URL. So here is the answer, if you are redirecting users to a new URL then it takes seven seconds which cannot be avoided even if your WordPress website is optimized for speed. Not only that but there are high chances that the internal link juice might also be lost.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, the 301 redirects can be used to direct users from the old URL to the new URL but if the same redirection is used in internal linking then it can do more harm than good. That is the reason why we recommend you to change the old URL to the new URL for every internal link you are creating on your WordPress website. This way you will ensure that users are easily able to land on your new URL and the link juice is also passed in the right way for better ranking and authority.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Today you will find a number of tools that can help you to check the pages linked out during the redesign process. You can also create the list manually. Once you have the right internal linking list then you can make changes to your WordPress website accordingly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Internal linking in header and footer<\/b><\/h4>\n

Apart from all these, you can also check your WordPress website header and footer. Sometimes adding or removing the internal links can harm your website\u2019s internal linking structure. That is the reason why we recommend you consider the internal links in the header and footer as well.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you are adding more menus to make your page noticeable or removing anything for the header then make sure the link is present in the footer (until you plan to delete that page). Here is a few things that can take into account while structuring your WordPress website header and footer:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n