Solution · Websites
Website redesign without losing search traffic
A redesign is justified when the current website stops doing its job — enquiries drop, the site is awkward on phones, the team cannot update it, or it no longer reflects what the company sells. A redesign that only changes colours rarely fixes any of that. We start from what the site should achieve and keep what already works, including the search traffic it has earned.
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In short
In short
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Before any design work, we measure what the current site does well: which pages bring traffic and enquiries, and from which queries.
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Pages that rank are kept or moved with permanent redirects; losing them is the most common and most expensive redesign mistake.
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Structure and content come before visuals: most conversion problems are about what the page says and in which order.
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The new version is tested on a staging copy before launch and monitored for several weeks after.
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Sometimes the right answer is not a redesign but a rebuild on a new platform — or small targeted fixes.
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Scope
Signs that a redesign is needed
- Most visitors come from phones, but the site was designed for desktop and is hard to use on a small screen.
- The team cannot change a price, add a service or publish news without a developer.
- Analytics shows traffic, but few enquiries — people arrive and leave.
- The services, prices or positioning on the site no longer match what the company actually does.
- The site is slow, and speed reports show problems that cannot be fixed within the current template.
If only one of these applies, targeted changes may be enough. We say so when it is the case. The broader choice is covered in redesign vs rebuild.
How we approach it
1. Audit of the current site
We collect data from analytics and Search Console: pages that bring organic traffic, queries they rank for, pages that lead to enquiries, and pages nobody visits. We also review forms, speed and mobile usability. This produces a list of what must survive the redesign.
2. Structure and content
We map the new structure against the old one. Every existing URL gets a decision: keep as is, merge into another page, or remove. Pages with traffic are never simply deleted. At this stage we also rewrite the key texts: what the company offers, for whom, and why a visitor should get in touch now rather than later.
3. Design
Prototypes first, then visual design — for mobile and desktop, in every language the site uses. See UI/UX design for how this stage works.
4. Development and content transfer
The new site is built on a staging address closed from indexing. Content is transferred and checked; titles, descriptions and structured data are set for every page.
5. Redirects and launch
A full redirect map sends every old URL to its new equivalent with a permanent (301) redirect. After launch we check the map against the list of old URLs, submit the new sitemap and watch for errors. The details are in redirects when changing a website.
6. Monitoring after launch
For several weeks we compare traffic, rankings and enquiries with the period before launch. A short dip in rankings is normal after a significant change; a lasting drop means something was missed, and we fix it.
What usually goes wrong elsewhere
- URLs change without redirects, and pages that ranked for years disappear from search.
- Text is cut for the sake of design, and pages lose the content that made them relevant to queries.
- The staging site gets indexed because it was left open to crawlers, creating duplicates of the live site.
- Analytics is lost during the switch, so nobody can tell whether the new version works better.
Each of these is prevented by a checklist item, not by luck.
What we need from you
- Access to analytics, Search Console and the current site's admin panel or hosting.
- A list of what should change and why: goals, complaints from customers, internal problems.
- Brand materials: logo, colours, fonts, photos, if they exist.
- A person on your side who approves structure and texts.
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Will we lose our Google rankings after a redesign?
Not if URLs are preserved or redirected, content is not stripped out and technical settings are carried over. A short fluctuation after launch is common; the aim is for it to recover within weeks, not to lose positions permanently.
Can we keep the current content management system?
Sometimes. If the system is maintained and editors are comfortable with it, a new design can be built on top of it. If it is outdated or insecure, moving to another platform is often cheaper in the long run.
Can a redesign be done in stages?
Yes. We often start with the pages that matter most — home, key service pages, the enquiry form — and move the rest afterwards. This brings results sooner and spreads the work over time.