There are times when your site simply needs a brand new design. There are many reasons this might happen, but whatever the case may be, you should expect it to happen at some point. A site redesign can help improve how long someone stays on your site, among other things. But what if you already have a solid amount of traffic due to your smart SEO usage? If you have a significant amount of traffic arriving at your site, you will want to make sure to preserve all your SEO settings in order to keep that traffic coming.
Pay attention to some of the following tips when handling your site redesign, and you'll see your old SEO fall into place on your new site.
Maintain URL Structures
If it is at all possible, keep your original URL structure. This can make the redesign go a lot smoother and make it easier to reroute links and other information. It also ensures that the move is more organized - it will be easier to know what you need your new information to go.
Out with the Old
Once you have all your new pages in place, you'll need to use a 301 redirect in order to make sure search engines are able to recognize that the old pages no longer exist. Instead, they will be able to route users to the correct page. Once a person does a search and the engine pulls your page into the list of results, the 301 redirect will allow them to click the link and be taken to the correct page.
Likewise, once everything is finally finished, if your new site is with the same host, you'll need to make sure all old pages are deleted. The 301 redirects will bring people to you, so there is no need to keep the old pages around. Another reason to remove pages is to simply keep search bots from crawling them. This can lead to a few hiccups in search results. In general, you are simply better off removing the old pages. If you do want to hang onto them, back them up locally or place them into a private folder in your web server.
Pay Attention to Content
Maintain proper content no matter what you intend for your redesign. This means using text that includes important key words and avoiding too many graphics or Flash designs. If you overload your website with Flash, graphics, and other various images, it will only slow down both search bots and loading speed for people, neither of which is something you want. Slow loading speeds will easily mean lost visitors as they aren't going to stick around and wait for your impressive Flash display. They have better things to do.
Text is what you should use on your site. It doesn't need to be filled with text, but there should be enough included and with a lot of good keywords in order to catch a search bot's eye. They look for keywords that are in the right ratios (no keyword spamming!) and return those sites for users to see. Keep your text sharp and organize it appropriately on your site. Incorporate other aspects along with your text, such as Facebook or Google+ buttons, make it into a blog so you have a constant stream of fresh content, and much more. Ditch the fancy graphics and go for smart SEO all the way.
Once the site redesign is finished, the old pages removed, and everything cleaned up and ready for visitors, make sure to let all your current customers know about the new look. Post updates and information on your social media sites like Facebook and LinkedIn, post Twitter updates, and include the information in your next email newsletter. Showcase the differences on a YouTube video. Show off your hard work and if people like what they see, they're bound to share it with others.
Pay attention to some of the following tips when handling your site redesign, and you'll see your old SEO fall into place on your new site.
Maintain URL Structures
If it is at all possible, keep your original URL structure. This can make the redesign go a lot smoother and make it easier to reroute links and other information. It also ensures that the move is more organized - it will be easier to know what you need your new information to go.
Out with the Old
Once you have all your new pages in place, you'll need to use a 301 redirect in order to make sure search engines are able to recognize that the old pages no longer exist. Instead, they will be able to route users to the correct page. Once a person does a search and the engine pulls your page into the list of results, the 301 redirect will allow them to click the link and be taken to the correct page.
Likewise, once everything is finally finished, if your new site is with the same host, you'll need to make sure all old pages are deleted. The 301 redirects will bring people to you, so there is no need to keep the old pages around. Another reason to remove pages is to simply keep search bots from crawling them. This can lead to a few hiccups in search results. In general, you are simply better off removing the old pages. If you do want to hang onto them, back them up locally or place them into a private folder in your web server.
Pay Attention to Content
Maintain proper content no matter what you intend for your redesign. This means using text that includes important key words and avoiding too many graphics or Flash designs. If you overload your website with Flash, graphics, and other various images, it will only slow down both search bots and loading speed for people, neither of which is something you want. Slow loading speeds will easily mean lost visitors as they aren't going to stick around and wait for your impressive Flash display. They have better things to do.
Text is what you should use on your site. It doesn't need to be filled with text, but there should be enough included and with a lot of good keywords in order to catch a search bot's eye. They look for keywords that are in the right ratios (no keyword spamming!) and return those sites for users to see. Keep your text sharp and organize it appropriately on your site. Incorporate other aspects along with your text, such as Facebook or Google+ buttons, make it into a blog so you have a constant stream of fresh content, and much more. Ditch the fancy graphics and go for smart SEO all the way.
Once the site redesign is finished, the old pages removed, and everything cleaned up and ready for visitors, make sure to let all your current customers know about the new look. Post updates and information on your social media sites like Facebook and LinkedIn, post Twitter updates, and include the information in your next email newsletter. Showcase the differences on a YouTube video. Show off your hard work and if people like what they see, they're bound to share it with others.
About the Author:
LunaTech SEO is a agency seo which offers website optimization, social media marketing, SEO, and more to its clients. They provide a wide range of services including seo site review to their global clients.
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