Website redesign without losing your SEO
A redesign doesn't cost you Google rankings by itself. What does: URLs changed without redirects, deleted content, or a new site still blocked from Google after launch.
Done right, a redesign keeps what works. Google does warn that rankings normally fluctuate for a while when URLs change.
Why does traffic drop after a redesign?
Most often because of 3 avoidable mistakes: URLs changed without redirects, pages redirected in bulk to the homepage, or a Google block left in place at launch.
- Changing URLs without redirects. Your “/pricing” page becomes “/our-prices”: to Google, the old page is gone, along with the rankings and links it had earned. The fix is a permanent (301) redirect from each old URL to its new one. Google is clear about it: 301 redirects don't cause a loss in PageRank, the value passed on by links.
- Redirecting everything to the homepage. It's the tempting shortcut when there are many pages. Google advises against it: redirecting many old pages to a single unrelated page may be treated as a page not found (a “soft 404”).
- Forgetting to unblock the new site. During the build, the test site is often hidden from Google (a “noindex” tag or a robots.txt rule). If that block goes live with the new site, Google can no longer read or index it properly. Google reminds you to remove these blocks at launch.
How do you redesign a website without losing SEO?
By keeping the URLs that perform and redirecting the others with 301s, one by one, to the closest new page. Here is our method, in 6 steps.
- Inventory. We list every page on your current site and flag the ones that bring you visits, leads or links.
- Redirect map. Every old URL gets a destination: kept if it performs, otherwise redirected (301) to the closest new page. Never everything to the homepage.
- Content and titles kept. The copy, titles and descriptions that work are carried over or improved, not wiped out.
- Pre-launch check. We test the redirects one by one and make sure nothing blocks Google.
- Launch. The new sitemap is submitted to Google through Search Console.
- Indexing check. At launch, we check in Search Console that Google reads the new pages. You get the before/after measurements at handover.
How much does a redesign cost at LionuXE?
The redesign is included in our fixed-price plans: Visible Website at $1,190 and Website + Content at $1,590. The Visibility Audit at $240 tells you first whether a redesign is really needed.
- Visible Website: $1,190. 5-page website, URLs that perform are kept, the rest redirected (301), technical SEO, structured data, 2 fact-checked articles. Live 10 business days once we have your deposit, logins and content.
- Website + Content: $1,590. Everything in Visible Website, plus 4 more articles delivered within 4 weeks, internal linking, and 1 month of monitoring with a report.
If your current site has many more than 5 pages, we go through it with you on the call, before you pay anything, to decide what to keep, merge or redirect.
The Visibility Audit is an audit scored out of 100, with an action plan. Its fee is credited if you order a website within 30 days. And if fixing your current site is enough, we'll tell you.
Frequently asked questions
How long until Google picks up the new URLs?
Google says that for a medium-sized site, it can take a few weeks or more, and longer for a large site. Rankings may fluctuate in the meantime. Nobody can honestly promise when things will settle.
How long should redirects stay in place?
As long as possible: Google generally recommends at least one year.
Should I change my domain name during the redesign?
Not unless you need to. Changing the domain at the same time as the site structure adds one more difficulty. Keeping your domain is the simplest option.
Can a redesign improve my SEO?
Yes, when the old site had technical flaws: slow on mobile, pages not indexed, no structured data. But it isn't automatic, and we don't promise any ranking.
Order a Visibility Audit See pricing See a sample audit
Google sources: Site moves with URL changes · Redirects