Redesign
Redesigning your website? A search checklist for launch.
Keep track of the pages people already use, and make their replacements easy for customers and search engines to find.
Published · 7 min read
The starting point
Before launch, record the existing URLs that matter, decide what stays and map moved pages to relevant replacements. Test that map, the public indexing controls and the contact journey before changing the live site. These steps reduce avoidable migration mistakes; they cannot guarantee unchanged rankings.
Begin with useful existing pages
Collect the current sitemap, key service pages, contact information, useful articles and downloads. Add landing pages that receive search clicks or enquiries when those reports are available. Include addresses linked from business profiles, directories, social posts and documents you still share.
A redesign is a good time to remove redundant material, but a page should not disappear just because its old design looks dated. First decide whether the information still helps a customer. Keep a record of the address, its purpose, the replacement and the person responsible for checking it.
Download a blank URL mapGive each old URL a clear decision
| Old page | Useful decision | Launch check |
|---|---|---|
| A continuing service page | Keep the address when practical; improve its content and design. | The page loads with the intended title and contact route. |
| A service moved to a new address | Redirect directly to the relevant replacement. | The old address reaches the correct page without a chain. |
| A discontinued service with no replacement | Remove it with an appropriate not-found response. | It is not falsely redirected to unrelated content. |
| A useful downloadable brief | Keep it, or redirect to its actual replacement. | The file or replacement can still be used. |
This is an illustrative map, not a record of a client migration. Avoid redirecting every missing page to the homepage. A customer who followed a specific service link needs a relevant destination; a generic redirect can also make it harder to understand which pages have actually been removed.
For permanent moves, use the permanent redirect appropriate to your hosting platform. Update internal links to the final address instead of relying on the redirect for ordinary navigation. Retain a map that can be tested after launch, not just a note saying “SEO included”.
Check the difference between a preview and the public site
A private or staged preview may intentionally use noindex or restricted access. The public pages intended for search need their own launch check. Inspect the actual public response, page robots directives, canonical address and robots.txt; do not assume the production settings are correct because the preview looked right.
The canonical address should match the intended public page. Include only the canonical, indexable pages you want discovered in the sitemap. Fictional portfolio demonstration sites can remain outside the index while their descriptive portfolio page is indexable. Hidden or restricted material is a separate access-control concern: a noindex directive is not a password.
Preserve the answers, not just the colours
Keep the useful service detail that brought customers to the old site. A cleaner layout should make that information easier to read, rather than deleting it in favour of a short slogan. Review headings, page titles, descriptions and meaningful image descriptions in the context of each page.
If the business offer has changed, write the new information accurately and decide what the old material should become. Do not create multiple near-identical town pages simply to replace lost URLs. A genuine location or service page needs information that is useful for that audience.
Test the public customer routes
- Open the important old URLs and check their final destinations.
- Check the new sitemap and a selection of service, article and contact pages.
- Use the menu and enquiry journey on a phone and a desktop.
- Check email delivery separately from the page confirmation, using an agreed test.
- Verify any booking tool, download or third-party link the business still needs.
- Check that domain and email DNS changes match the agreed launch plan.
If website hosting changes while the domain stays the same, follow the host-change guidance for that situation. If the domain or URLs change, follow the relevant site-move process. They are different jobs. Agree who can restore the previous configuration if a launch test fails.
After launch, look for errors and relevant search changes
Submit the updated sitemap in the verified search tools and check whether it can be fetched. A submission confirms discovery information was sent; it does not confirm that every page has been indexed. Inspect the pages that matter and allow for report-processing delays.
Record the launch date and compare relevant pages, queries and countries using available reports. A new structure can take time to be recrawled and processed. Investigate missing pages, broken redirects and accidental indexing restrictions before drawing conclusions about the redesign itself.
Google recommends keeping redirects for as long as possible, generally at least one year for a site move with URL changes. The appropriate migration plan depends on the actual change. Keep ownership and renewal details clear so the old domain does not disappear before its remaining purpose is fulfilled.
Put the migration into the project scope
When asking for a redesign proposal, provide the current address, important pages, available search reports and any domain or hosting change you are considering. Ask which URL-mapping, redirect, testing and monitoring tasks are included. A design quotation should not leave the launch responsibilities assumed.
Check how the redesign affects business email, prepare your website brief, or discuss a replacement with Charlie.
Official migration guidance
- Google Search Central: site moves with URL changes
- Google Search Central: moving hosting without URL changes
- Google Search Central: building and submitting a sitemap
- Google Search Central: controlling indexing with noindex
Use the current instructions for your actual host and search accounts. This checklist is a planning aid; no position or traffic outcome is guaranteed.
