New website, same rankings

Website redesign: 10 steps to keep your Google rankings

In a website redesign, Google rankings are lost mainly when old addresses lead nowhere. Google recommends permanent redirects (301 or 308) from every old address to the matching new one and advises keeping them generally for at least one year. The checklist below takes you through the move in 10 steps.

Key facts

301 or 308permanent redirects from old to new, as Google recommends
at least 1 yearis how long redirects should generally stay in place, according to Google
a few weeksor more can pass for medium-sized sites before Google shows the new addresses
from €3,490for a new website at Teddynews, fixed price in writing before you commit

Why rankings are lost

What goes wrong in a redesign and how to avoid it

Google knows your pages by their addresses. If the addresses change without a redirect, Google finds nothing at the old address and visitors land on an error page. What the old page earned over years, such as links from other websites, is lost.

Google describes moving a site with changed addresses in its own guide. The core: map every old address to a new one, redirect permanently, update internal links and details such as each page's main address, and submit a new sitemap. According to Google, visibility may fluctuate temporarily during the move.

What is a website redesign?: Renewing an existing website: new design, new technology or new content, often with changed addresses. The goal is a better site without losing existing visitors and Google rankings.

Cost

What a redesign costs: like a new build, plus the move

A new website costs from €3,490 at Teddynews for a home page and €5,900 for 5 pages. The address map and redirects depend on the number of your existing pages; we give you the fixed price for them before you commit. Market prices and running costs are on the page How much a website costs.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions about a website redesign

Will I lose my Google rankings in a redesign?

Not if every old address redirects permanently to the matching new one and the content is kept. According to Google, visibility may fluctuate temporarily during the move.

How long until Google shows the new addresses?

For medium-sized sites a few weeks or more according to Google, longer for large ones. Monitor the move in Search Console.

Which redirect is the right one?

A permanent one: 301 or 308. Google recommends them where possible and advises keeping them generally for at least one year.

Can I keep my domain?

Yes, and that is the simpler case. Then only the addresses within the domain change. If the domain changes, also report the change of address in Search Console.

Read on

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Your next step

New website, same rankings: fixed price from €3,490

We build your new website and plan the move so that visitors and Google keep finding your pages. You get the fixed price in writing before you commit.