How to redesign a website without losing rankings

Last updated 12 October 2026 · By the XKey team

Why do rankings drop after a redesign?

• Page addresses change with no redirects, so Google and anyone with a bookmark finds a "page not found" error, and the links pointing to the old pages are wasted.
• Text is cut to make the design cleaner, and the words that matched people's searches go with it.
• The new site is still blocked from Google – a noindex setting or robots.txt rule left over from the test site.
• Titles and descriptions are lost or replaced with defaults.
• The new site is slower, often because of large images or heavy themes.

What should I do before the new site goes live?

1. List every page on the old site. Download your sitemap, or run the website crawler and save the spreadsheet. Note each page's title and description.
2. Find the pages that matter most. In Google Search Console, check Performance → Pages for the pages that get clicks, and use the backlink checker to see which pages other sites link to.
3. Map old addresses to new ones. Every old page gets a new home: the same page at a new address, or the closest replacement. Keep addresses the same wherever you can – that's the safest redirect of all.
4. Keep the content that ranks. Rewrite and improve it if you like, but don't drop the sections that answer what people search for.
5. Check the test site with the website audit before launch, so problems are fixed before Google sees them.

How do I set up the redirects?

Use permanent (301) redirects from each old address to its new one, set in your hosting, your website builder or a redirect plugin. Point each page to its own closest match, not everything to the home page – Google treats mass redirects to the home page much like missing pages. Read more in broken links and redirects.

What should I check on launch day?

• Paste your old addresses into the redirect checker: each should go to the right new page in one step.
• Make sure the site isn't blocked: test key pages with the robots.txt tester and run the free SEO check on the home page.
• Submit the new sitemap in Search Console. If the domain has changed, use Search Console's Change of Address tool as well.
• Run the broken link checker to catch internal links still pointing at old addresses.

What should I watch in the weeks after?

Some movement in the first few weeks is normal while Google works through the changes. Watch Search Console for a rise in "not found" pages and fix them with more redirects. Keep the redirects in place for at least a year, and ideally for good. Turn on weekly monitoring so you hear quickly if something breaks.

Frequently asked questions

Will a new website improve my rankings?

It can, if it's faster, clearer and has better content. A redesign on its own doesn't, and done without redirects it usually makes rankings worse for a while.

Can I change my domain name without losing rankings?

Yes, with page-by-page 301 redirects from the old domain to the new one and Search Console's Change of Address tool. Keep the old domain registered and redirecting for years.

Should I redirect deleted pages to the home page?

Only if there's truly nothing closer. Redirect each page to the most similar page on the new site, and let pages with no replacement return a proper not-found error.