REDESIGN
Redesign your website without forgetting what already works on Google
Pages to preserve, old URLs and launch checks: a practical checklist for planning a website redesign.
A redesign starts with an inventory
Your website may look dated while some pages still serve customers well. Before choosing a new appearance, identify pages receiving useful visits, forms people use and links shared in your posts or advertisements.
For an initial discussion, gather five things: your domain, who controls hosting access, important pages, the inquiries you want and problems observed on mobile. Do not send passwords through a public form.
Keep URLs when it makes sense
A modernized page does not necessarily need a new URL. If the address is clear and still matches the service, keeping it makes the transition simpler.
When URLs change, Google recommends mapping old pages to new ones and implementing appropriate redirects. Avoid sending every old page to the homepage: someone looking for a particular service deserves a relevant destination.
Prepare a short, real launch checklist
Check useful pages, menus, links from social accounts and the complete form journey. Send a clearly identified test, then confirm delivery. A thank-you page alone does not prove an email arrived.
Also check page titles, language versions, internal links and the sitemap. If the staging environment was protected from indexing, check the public version’s settings at launch. Keep a copy that allows a rollback if something goes wrong.
Compare after launch
Record the redesign date and what changed. Then examine errors, incoming inquiries and landing pages, rather than a single overall number. Google notes that a site move can cause temporary fluctuations while changes are processed.
For a small business, we prefer a clear scope to a long list of promises. Start with what gets in your customers’ way. A better service page and inquiry journey may be a more useful first project than rebuilding every section.
Sources and further reading
Sources checked September 11, 2026. Practical recommendations are our synthesis; platforms may change.