John Mueller, Google’s top SEO guy (at the time of this post), addresses why a new website causes a drop in SEO in an online talk. You can see that portion of his talk below.
However, here’s our overview of…
Why a new website causes a drop in your search engine rankings.
When a website is redesigned, the navigation most likely changes, from what it was, to something different, to work within the new navigation structure. Using our website as an example, here’s what we mean:
The “before” URL for the home builders section in our site used the word “portfolio” in it.
The “after” URL for the home builders section now has the word “industries” where the word “portfolio” used to be.
This is a simplified example of one word in the URL changing. When redesigning a website, it’s often the case that most – or every – URL changes.. and much more drastically.
How do new URLs relate to a drop in SEO ranking?
It’s because Google, and other search engines, have indexed your previous website with all it’s previous URLs. Now that your new website has all (or many) new URLs, all those links Google had indexed, are no longer indexed. Now their algorithms have to scan all the new URLs to be able to re-index your website.
Be proactive in having Google find your new website.
The process of re-indexing your new website can be greatly expedited by submitting a site map to Google. Doing that, essentially is telling them what the new website’s URLs are. That way, you don’t have to wait for their algorithms to find your new website, with its new URLs.
If your web design company isn’t submitting a site map to Google and other search engines, they’re not the web designers you want redesigning your site. Before hiring them, be sure to ask them if they’ll do that.
Be proactive in making it easy for your clients or customers.
Now consider:
- Has your audience bookmarked any pages of your old website (with it’s old URLs) in their browser?
- Do you have those previous URLs in your blog posts (the answer is definitely yes), or
- If those old URLs that link back to your website are in social media posts (again, the answer is definitely yes).
Now, when your customer click on the old links: they won’t work. They’ll get a “Page not found” page. So your web design company should also create a custom “Page Not Found” page for your new website..
And see one of our all-time favorite Error Page below. Although it’s in Russian, it;s still pretty funny.
Of course, try to avoid having your customers go to a “Page Not Found” page.
If your web design company is any good, they’ll do what’s called 301 redirects. This essentially redirects folks who refer in an old URL, to the same page on your new website with the new URL. It all happens behind the scenes, so it’s seamless for your customers: they’ll never know the URLs have changed.
If your website drops in the rankings, don’t revert back to the old navigation.
By going back to the old navigational structure of your previous website, the one Google has previously indexed, will just prolong things. Plus, it’ll take additional time – and cost – for the web design company to revert back.
Plan ahead, and you won’t have any issues with your new website ranking where it was before the redesign. Though of course, it will take time. How much time is impossible to say, because there’s so many factors.