WEBSITE REDESIGN: SEO CONSIDERATIONSDon’t miss SEO opportunities when redesigning your website.

(Early 2010)

(Late 2011)

(2014)

Key PrincipleRedesigning a website is an opportunity for a brand or company to upgrade the aesthetics and functionality of its home on the web. While updating a website’s visual appeal, a redesign gives SEO’s a chance to ‘look under the hood’ and retool the SEO qualities of a website to turn site visitors into paying customers.

SEO Stages of Redesign processResearch and Planning

Content Creation and Implementation

Measurement

Refinement

PlanningResearch

• Market research and analytics trends - try to avoid re-launch during high traffic periods or industry related events

• Benchmark existing dataSite Design

• Responsive, Adaptive – mobile friendlyAdd analytics accounts

• Apply Google Analytics UA code(s)• Google Webmaster Tools, Bing Webmaster Tools• Ecommerce tracking, heat mapping, etc.

Install robots.txt code and sitemap.xml code• Create sitemap if it does not yet exist

PlanningMap out site hierarchy/URL structure

• Determine sub-domain vs. sub-folder structureLink Redirect Strategy

• Create backwards inventory of incoming links, assign redirects where necessary

• URL canonicalization Keyword ResearchContent Marketing StrategyEstablish Website/Blog KPI’s

Content CreationMeta Data Creation

• Create for all static webpages and blog pageLanding Page Optimization

• Optimize all landing pages• Include high quality images with optimized KW alt tags• Link to in-page content• Ensure title tags and meta descriptions are within character

limitsHomepage contentIntroductory Blog Post

Content Creation - BlogDetermine publishing schedule

• Publish at minimum one post per week• Establish ‘Time of Day, Day of The Week’ reporting in Google

AnalyticsEstablish Google+ Authorship tags for all authors

• Provides value to content in search resultsIncorporate non-SEO items

• YouTube embeds, Slideshare embeds, etc.Social Media Sharing

• Social shares are a signal of content quality, include social sharing options on blog page

• Enable blog comments

MeasurementA/B Testing

• Real-time feedback on aesthetic, functionality, and navigation

• Execute full website analysis• Examine title tags and meta descriptions of all

pages• Ensure all images and content is optimized

Use Webmaster tools• Check for crawl errors, 404’s, 500’s, etc. • Check for broken links with Xenu• Check page load times

Refinement - homepageOptimize Homepage based on Feedback

• Use service like Crazy Egg during A/B testing to heat map homepage

Engaging Content Front and CenterClear, Simple, Visually Appealing Layout

• Focus on User ExperienceCreate Conversion Opportunity

• Especially important for non-ecommerce sites• Email Capture

Incorporate Social Sharing Buttons• Social Media profile links

Key Takeaways

A website redesign is not just about updated visuals, it is an opportunity to improve the functionality and search visibility of the site

All must collaborate and be involved from the beginning of the project – designers, developers, SEOs, Social Media Managers, content writers, and sales teams. A redesign is a good time to start fresh with new SEO approaches and tactics that were not tried on an old site