24-08-23Marketing

Alison Fenwick

Search Engine Marketing

alison@global-river.co.uk

Tel: 0800 171 22 30

Read more posts by Alison

This article was posted 8 months ago and is filed under Marketing, MidWeb News, SEO Tips, SEO Work, Web Design.

We design and build stunning, easy to manage websites that don’t cost the earth. A range of Search Engine Optimisation, and Digital marketing tools and services do the rest. Our business, is growing yours!

Will my website rankings decrease after a site redesign or re-launch?

Will my website rankings decrease after a site redesign or re-launch?

​​No, a notable decline in a website’s rankings should not occur upon the launch of a new site. With proper design and effective launch management, the impact on the site’s search engine rankings should be minimal, and there shouldn’t be any reduction in organic search traffic.

If there’s a decline in website rankings following a website redesign and launch, it’s a clear indicator of an issue. Swift investigation and correction are crucial to prevent a lasting reduction in organic search traffic. Typically, we expect rankings to experience a slight boost within the first one to two weeks after launching a new site, thanks to the introduction of fresh content, updates, and enhancements that come with a new site. 

A decrease in rankings often correlates with a reduction in organic search traffic. While the overall decline in site traffic might appear marginal it’s crucial not to dismiss it. The dip in total traffic could go unnoticed, necessitating a thorough analysis through appropriate analytics channels. Nevertheless, any decline in keyword rankings will inevitably lead to a decrease in non-branded search traffic. Consequently, this results in fewer potential new clients discovering your website when searching for your services online. For most businesses, the luxury of disregarding such a decrease in potential new clients is simply unaffordable.

Recognising an issue

Before and during a website launch, it’s essential to keep a close watch on your site’s search engine rankings, evaluating them on a weekly basis. Don’t hesitate to ask your website developer for these ranking reports if you have any suspicions of an issue. Keep in mind that there will naturally be some fluctuations in rankings, both positive and negative, with minor shifts typically not causing concern. However, should you observe a notable decline in your rankings, conducting a thorough investigation is imperative.

Are redirects influencing my decrease in rankings?

The primary cause behind a significant decline in a website’s rankings upon launching a new site is the absence of proper redirection of the old pages to their corresponding counterparts on the new site.

Over time, this page will have garnered authority within Google’s index due to its exceptional content, positive user experience, high-quality backlinks, and more. However, if this older page isn’t effectively redirected to its corresponding new page, all that accumulated authority will dissipate. Google won’t recognize your continued expertise in that particular service. Consequently, your new page will need to begin anew to establish a presence in search engine results, leading to an immediate reduction in both rankings and traffic.

Remember to consider the PDFs hosted on your website, such as specifications or instruction manuals. PDF files frequently contain substantial-high-quality content and can attract a significant amount of search traffic. Unfortunately, these aspects are frequently neglected when it comes to implementing redirects.

Blocked to search engines

We continue to encounter newly launched websites that are either fully or partially inaccessible to search engines. It might be surprising, but mistakes happen, and this particular oversight isn’t uncommon, even among highly experienced professional web designers. If a newly launched site is not accessible to search engines, it’s evident that its rankings will be adversely affected.

Frequently, the decline in rankings and the subsequent reduction in non-branded search traffic occurs more gradually. Often, this can be attributed to inadequate management of redirects. For instance, in some cases, all the previous pages are directly redirected to the new site’s homepage.

What to do if you suspect challenges to your website rankings

Predicting the performance of a new site in search engine results is never straightforward. Search engines maintain a shroud of secrecy around their algorithms, which undergo frequent updates and changes. Nonetheless, a wealth of information is available concerning how your site has fared and is currently faring in website searches—provided you’re aware of where and how to access it. When correctly interpreted, this information facilitates the identification of issues and the restoration of rankings and traffic.

If suspicions arise about a problem, don’t hesitate to request the following reports from your website designer or marketing agency:

• Rankings for my site’s keywords in Google and Bing over the past x months.
• A graphical representation of the weekly volume of organic search traffic to my site over the past x months.
• A list of my top-performing pages, detailing the clicks and impressions in Google Search results over the last x weeks.
• A list of my top-performing pages, along with the clicks and impressions in Google Search results prior to the launch of my new site.

Accessing this information should only take a few minutes for a professional and should be readily available. It will aid in recognizing any decline or alteration in your search traffic that might be impacting your business. Armed with this insight, you can strategize redirects, introduce new content, or implement site structure changes to help regain rankings and traffic.

Reach out to Midweb for any concerns or assistance on thai matter, restoring rankings is something we can help with to get your website back to its prime!.