SEO & AI Search
Website Redesign SEO Checklist (Protect Organic Traffic)
A prettier site that orphans your old URLs will tank traffic. Map redirects, keep substance, and watch Search Console after launch.
Part of the AI Search Visibility series. Start here: SEO vs GEO vs AEO guide.
New design ≠ “Google hates us.” Traffic usually drops because URLs changed, content vanished, internal links broke, or the new templates are slower. Fix those, and the redesign stops looking like a mystery ranking event.
Before you flip the switch
- Export the pages that actually get clicks and conversions.
- Build an old→new URL map. Keep proven paths when you can.
- Draft 301s for every changed URL and test a sample set.
- Check title/meta/H1 intent - improve the copy without deleting unique substance.
- List internal links that still point at retiring URLs.
The first two weeks
- Submit the updated sitemap. Request indexing on key URLs if you need a nudge.
- Watch coverage, 404s, and soft 404s daily for a bit.
- Compare mobile Core Web Vitals before vs after.
FAQ
How do you recover traffic after a redesign?
Broken redirects first. Then missing content. Then internal links. Then page experience. It’s a sequence - not an overnight rebound button.