How to change the design, structure and CMS of a website without harming SEO

Problems that arise when changing the structure, design or engine of a site require special attention, because errors can cause many unpleasant consequences. How to avoid losing positions and traffic during website modernization? How to update without disrupting your SEO strategy? In this article we will tell you how to change the design, structure and CMS of a website without compromising SEO.

A little theory: what could go wrong?

With global changes to the site, the following main risks exist:

• loss of link mass, which is an important factor for ranking;
• drop in visibility for key queries and decrease in traffic;
• the appearance of a large number of “404” errors (broken links);
• redirects that slow down site loading speed;
• technical errors that may take a long time to appear;
• change in conversion rate and, as a result, a drop in sales.

Therefore, any changes to the site require careful preparation and analysis so as not to damage its performance and SEO positions.

Draw up a plan and/or technical specification

Preliminary preparation is the key to success. A detailed work plan and technical specifications will help avoid mistakes, simplifying the modernization process. This is best done with the help of a project manager who can organize and control all stages of change.

Don't change page URLs without a good reason

Changing the URL structure can cause many problems. Unless clearly necessary, you should not change page addresses. Here's what can happen:

• the pages will disappear from the search engine index because they will become “new”;
• traffic from organic search results will be lost;
• the link juice will be reset to zero, since the links will lead to other pages;
• users will see a 404 error instead of the expected content.

Changing URLs should only be done when absolutely necessary to avoid loss of rankings and traffic.

Use 301 redirects

If you need to change page URLs, use a 301 redirect. This will let search engines know that the page has been moved to a new address. The redirect preserves link juice and prevents loss of traffic and positions in search results.

Despite possible fluctuations in positions at the beginning, search engines will gradually take into account the changes, and users will see the new page address in search results.

Take care of page metadata migration

Meta tags such as Title and Description play an important role in SEO. When changing a site's structure, metadata is often lost, which can negatively impact rankings. To avoid this, it is recommended that you back up your metadata before upgrading and ensure that it will transfer to the new pages correctly.

Don't delete content on landing pages

Sometimes, when changing the design, site owners want to update the content on the pages. However, if these pages have good search engine visibility and generate traffic, their content needs to be preserved. Removing or changing such data may negatively impact SEO.

If you need to change content on landing pages, use analytics from webmasters or analytics systems to make sure that the changes will not disrupt current positions.

Remember "built-in" features

When updating the design, it is important to remember the functionality of the site that can be implemented through code. For example, social media buttons, web analytics and other functions can be implemented through plugins or embedded code. If the design changes, these elements may no longer work and the functionality of the site may be affected.

In addition, when changing CMS, standard functions that are available in one system but not available in another may disappear. This can also affect the site's SEO settings.

Work on a test subdomain

It is recommended that all changes be made on a test subdomain to avoid affecting the main site. By creating a copy of the site on a subdomain, you can make changes, test them and eliminate possible errors. After successful verification, transfer the changes to the main site.

Key points to consider:

• ensure that the test subdomain is closed from indexing;
• Delete the duplicate site after completing changes to avoid accidentally indexing it.

Create a checklist for checking after the update

After updating the site, it is important to check all key elements. Create a checklist so you don't miss important points. Key points to check:

• check if the URL structure has changed;
• check the 301 redirect settings for changed addresses;
• make sure that Title and Description meta tags are present on all pages;
• check the absence of duplicates and the correctness of the response codes;
• make sure that all analytics counters are connected and working;
• check that the content on the mobile and desktop versions is the same;
• Make sure nothing is missing on your landing pages.

In addition, you can conduct a small technical audit to make sure that the site works correctly after updates.

Let's sum it up

Changes to the site, such as changing the structure, design or CMS, require care and careful preparation. If you follow the recommendations described in the article, you can minimize risks and maintain current SEO results. Updates must be implemented wisely and taking into account all possible consequences.

If you have any questions, write in the comments!

For advice and assistance on SEO optimization, you can contact the "SEO COMPUTER" studio for any question by email info@seo.computer.

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