I recently had a business owner ask me a great question: “If I redesign my outdated website, will I lose my spot on Google’s first page?”
They’ve been nervous about updating their site because of this worry.
I totally get it—being on Google’s first page is a big deal for getting visitors and customers. So, I thought this would make a perfect blog topic.
Let’s talk about how Google decides where your site shows up, and how we can redesign your website to keep (or even improve) your ranking—without all the techy jargon!
How Does Google Decide Where Your Website Shows Up?
Think of Google as a librarian who’s trying to find the best books (websites) for people searching for something. Here’s what it looks at:
- Your Words: Does your site have helpful info that matches what people are searching for?
- Friends Talking About You: If other trusted websites link to yours, it’s like a recommendation that tells Google you’re legit.
- How Easy Your Site Is to Use: Is it fast? Does it work well on phones? Can visitors find what they need without frustration?
- Happy Visitors: If people stick around and explore your site, Google notices and likes that.
That’s the basic gist of it! Google wants to show people websites that are helpful and easy to use.
Could Redesigning Hurt Your Google Spot?
Here’s the honest truth: it could, but only if it’s not done carefully. Here are some things that might trip you up:
- Changing Web Addresses: If the links (like “yoursite.com/about”) change, Google might lose track of them.
- Messing Up Your Words: If you accidentally remove the stuff people search for, Google might not know your site fits their needs anymore. Setting up Google Analytics before you re-design is a great way to make a data based decision on what copy to keep.
- Making It Slow or Confusing: A site that takes forever to load or doesn’t work on phones can push you down the list.
But don’t worry—we can avoid these problems with a smart plan!
How to Redesign Without Losing Your Google Ranking
Here’s how we can keep your spot safe (and maybe even make it better):
- Keep Your Web Addresses the Same: If your pages are doing well, don’t change their links. If we have to tweak them, we’ll use a trick (called a “redirect”) to tell Google where they moved.
- Hold Onto Your Good Stuff: We’ll keep the words and info that got you ranked high, maybe even sprucing them up a bit.
- Make It Fast and Phone-Friendly: We’ll use simple tools to check that your site loads quickly and looks great on phones—Google loves that.
- Watch It Closely: Before and after the redesign, we’ll keep an eye on how your site’s doing with free tools from Google, so we can fix anything that pops up.
It’s like moving to a new house but making sure everyone knows your new address—and that the place is even nicer than before!
A Simple Checklist for Redesigning
If you’re nervous about updating your site, here’s an easy plan to follow:
- Check What’s Working Now: Look at which pages bring in visitors (Google has a free tool for this).
- Keep the Good Links: Decide to stick with the same web addresses or set up redirects.
- Save Your Words: Make sure the helpful info stays (and maybe gets a little better).
- Test the Basics: Ensure it’s fast and works on phones.
- Launch and Check: Put the new site up and watch how it does, tweaking if needed.
The Bottom Line
Redesigning your website doesn’t have to mean losing your Google ranking.
With a little care, we can keep your spot on the first page—and maybe even climb higher! A better site means happier visitors, and Google rewards that.
So, if your site’s feeling outdated, don’t be afraid to give it a refresh. Let’s chat about how we can make it work for you—book a discovery call with me, and we’ll figure it out together!
Cheers!
Marissa
Recent Comments