How to redesign your website for better SEO.
If you’ve been thinking about redesigning your website, you’re not alone. Every few years, most businesses reach a point where their site starts to feel outdated. A new design can make a huge difference in how your brand is perceived - but it’s important to protect the SEO foundation you’ve already built.
The good news is that redesigning doesn’t have to mean starting over. With a little planning, you can give your site a clean new look and improve your visibility in search at the same time.
Start by understanding what’s already working
Before changing anything, take a close look at what’s doing well on your current site. You might have pages that bring in steady traffic from Google or posts that people link to regularly. Those pages are valuable, even if they don’t look perfect yet.
Here’s what to check:
Which pages bring in the most visitors?
Which search terms or keywords send people to your site?
Which blog posts get shared or linked the most?
Which pages lead to the most contact form submissions or bookings?
You can find all of this in Google Analytics and Google Search Console. Once you know what’s working, make a list of those pages. You’ll want to protect them during the redesign and carry over their strengths to your new site.
Keep your URLs whenever possible
One of the biggest SEO mistakes people make when redesigning is changing their page URLs just because they’re updating the design. If your pages are already indexed or ranking well, changing URLs can cause broken links and drops in traffic.
If your existing URLs still make sense, keep them. If you really need to change a URL to make it clearer, make sure you set up a 301 redirect from the old link to the new one. That tells Google that the page still exists but has moved.
Small details like this protect your rankings and help visitors find what they’re looking for.
Keep high-performing content, even if it’s old
It’s tempting to clean house when you redesign your site, but before deleting anything, check if that page is bringing in visitors. Sometimes a blog post you wrote years ago still ranks well and drives traffic.
If it’s performing, keep it. If it’s outdated, give it a refresh. Add new examples, rewrite sections that feel old, or update the visuals. That’s a better move than starting from scratch.
And if you really do need to remove a page, redirect it to a similar one. Never just delete it and leave people (or Google) with a dead end.
Double-check your on-page SEO
As you move your content into the new design, make sure your SEO basics come with it. It’s easy to lose small but important details when switching templates or platforms.
Keep an eye on these:
Page titles and meta descriptions
Headings (H1, H2, etc.)
Image alt text
Internal links
Each of these plays a role in helping search engines understand what your site is about. They’re also good for accessibility and user experience.
While you’re at it, take a moment to make small improvements. Maybe your titles could be clearer, or your descriptions could sound more inviting. Little tweaks here can make a big difference in how often people click on your site in search results.
Simplify your structure
A website redesign is the perfect time to organize your content. Think of your website like a house. You want visitors to be able to find what they need without getting lost in a maze of doors and hallways.
Keep your main navigation clean. Use short, clear labels like “About,” “Services,” and “Contact.” Try not to bury important pages deep in dropdowns or subpages.
If you’re not sure what to keep, look at your analytics. If no one visits a certain page, you might not need it. Fewer, stronger pages often perform better than lots of weak ones.
Focus on speed
A new website that looks beautiful won’t help much if it loads slowly. Speed is one of the biggest factors in SEO and user experience.
Here are a few things that can help:
Compress your images before uploading them.
Use only the plugins or scripts you truly need.
Avoid large videos on your homepage.
Test your site speed using tools like PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix.
People won’t wait long for a page to load. If your site is quick and easy to browse, both visitors and Google will reward you for it.
Make your content easier to read
SEO isn’t just about keywords. It’s also about creating content that people enjoy reading. When visitors stay longer on your pages, it tells search engines that your content is helpful.
As you redesign, read through your content with fresh eyes. Ask yourself if it’s easy to follow.
Try this:
Break long paragraphs into shorter ones.
Add subheadings to guide the reader.
Use bullet points to highlight important ideas.
Include photos or graphics to make it more visual.
Your content should feel approachable and easy to skim. When readers feel comfortable, they stay longer, and that helps your SEO naturally.
Refresh your visuals without changing your story
A redesign is a great time to update photos, improve layouts, and give your brand a fresh look. But while you’re updating the visuals, keep your overall message consistent.
Your new design should feel like a natural evolution, not a complete identity change. Keep your core messaging, tone, and brand colors aligned so existing clients still recognize you.
Think of it as cleaning and rearranging a space you already love. You’re not rebuilding from scratch, just making it brighter, clearer, and more welcoming.
Check your links and redirects
Once your redesign is ready, check that all of your links work. Broken links can hurt your SEO and frustrate visitors.
Click through your site and test everything - your navigation, buttons, forms, and blog links. If you changed page names or structure, make sure redirects are in place.
It’s a small step, but it helps preserve your traffic and ensures that your visitors land exactly where they should.
Test before you launch
Before hitting publish, test your site on desktop, tablet, and mobile. Make sure everything looks good and works correctly on each.
Try submitting your own contact form to see if it sends. Click through every page and double-check that all the images display properly.
Finally, make sure your analytics tools are set up so you can track your performance after launch. That way, if anything drops unexpectedly, you’ll spot it quickly and can adjust.
A website redesign isn’t just about how your site looks. It’s a chance to make it work better for you and the people who visit it. When you keep what’s already working and focus on improving clarity, speed, and structure, your SEO will naturally follow.
If you’re ready to refresh your website and want to make sure it looks great and performs well, I’d love to help you create something that feels modern, strategic, and true to your brand.
