Website Redesign SEO Checklist

Introduction

A redesign can improve your website, but it can also damage SEO if pages are deleted, URLs change, redirects are missed, or important content is removed.

SEO should be part of the redesign from the beginning, not added after launch.

Before Redesign

  • Crawl the existing site.
  • Export all URLs.
  • Identify top traffic pages.
  • Identify ranking keywords.
  • Back up metadata.
  • Review backlinks.
  • Map old URLs to new URLs.
  • Decide which pages to keep, merge, redirect, or remove.

During Redesign

  • Build SEO-friendly URLs.
  • Keep important content.
  • Use one H1 per page.
  • Add internal links.
  • Optimize images.
  • Add schema.
  • Test mobile layouts.
  • Improve speed.
  • Keep conversion paths clear.

Before Launch

  • Test redirects.
  • Check noindex tags.
  • Submit XML sitemap.
  • Test forms.
  • Set up analytics.
  • Validate schema.
  • Check robots.txt.
  • Review page titles.
  • Crawl staging site.

After Launch

  • Crawl live site.
  • Monitor Google Search Console.
  • Fix 404s.
  • Request indexing.
  • Watch ranking changes.
  • Monitor conversions.
  • Improve pages based on data.

FAQs

Can a redesign hurt SEO?

Yes. A redesign can hurt SEO if URLs, content, metadata, redirects, internal links, or index settings are handled incorrectly.

Should SEO be done before or after redesign?

SEO should be included before and during the redesign process.

Do I need redirects?

Yes, if URLs change or pages are removed. Redirects help preserve traffic and authority.

Can MTI Tech handle SEO during a redesign?

Yes. MTI Tech can support website redesigns with SEO planning, development, redirects, metadata, schema, and launch checks.