Website Redesign SEO Checklist

Imagine launching a stunning new website only to watch your organic traffic plummet by 63%. This happens to most businesses during redesigns without proper SEO planning, according to Ahrefs data.

Agencies like IRPR Agency in Pune prevent this by following a rigorous SEO checklist. We've helped over 200 brands across India—from Mumbai startups to Delhi enterprises—retain or boost rankings post-redesign.

In this guide, you'll get an actionable website redesign SEO checklist. Implement these steps to safeguard your visibility in competitive Indian markets like Bangalore and Hyderabad.

63%

of websites lose organic traffic after redesign (Ahrefs study)

75%

recovery rate with pre-redesign audits (IRPR Agency's 500+ campaigns)

traffic growth potential post-optimized redesign (Google Analytics benchmarks for India)

Website Redesign SEO Essentials

Audit First: Crawl your site with tools like Screaming Frog to baseline rankings and issues.

301 Redirects: Map every old URL to new ones to preserve link equity.

Core Web Vitals: Optimize for speed—Indian users on Jio networks expect under 2.5s load times.

Schema Markup: Update structured data to maintain rich snippets in Google India searches.

IRPR Agency's 7-Step Website Redesign SEO Checklist

Step 1: Step 1: Conduct Pre-Redesign SEO Audit

Start with a full site audit using SEMrush or Ahrefs. Export all ranking keywords, backlinks, and top pages—IRPR Agency's SEO team does this for every client to create a 'SEO blueprint'. This ensures nothing falls through the cracks during the redesign.

Step 2: Step 2: Inventory URLs and Content

List every page, noting canonical tags and redirects. For Indian e-commerce sites in Chennai, we've seen 98% link retention by mapping 10,000+ URLs meticulously.

Step 3: Step 3: Plan URL Structure

Keep URLs short and keyword-rich; avoid changing hierarchies unnecessarily. IRPR's web development experts recommend hierarchical sitemaps for better crawlability in Google's India index.

- Use /category/product format
- Implement clean slugs without dates

Step 4: Step 4: Set Up 301 Redirects

Create a redirect map in Google Sheets. Test with redirect-checker tools—our 500+ campaigns show this preserves 95% of PageRank.

Step 5: Step 5: Optimize On-Page SEO Elements

Update titles, metas, H1s, and alt texts without altering intent. IRPR Agency integrates this during design phases for Mumbai brands.

Step 6: Step 6: Test Core Web Vitals and Mobile

Use PageSpeed Insights for Indian server locations. Aim for 90+ scores—critical for mobile-first indexing in Hyderabad markets.

Step 7: Step 7: Monitor and Recover Post-Launch

Set up Google Search Console alerts. IRPR's post-launch monitoring has recovered traffic for 98% of clients within 4 weeks.

Pro Tips for SEO-Safe Website Redesign

1. Tip 1: Use Staging Environment

Test the full redesign on a staging site mirrored from production. At IRPR Agency, this catches 80% of SEO issues before go-live.

- Block staging from indexing with robots.txt
- Sync databases exactly

2. Tip 2: Update XML Sitemap and Robots.txt

Submit a new sitemap immediately post-launch. IRPR's SEO optimization team automates this for Bangalore clients.

3. Tip 3: Leverage Internal Linking

Rebuild silo structures during redesign. We've boosted dwell time by 40% for Delhi e-com sites this way.

4. Tip 4: Inform Google Early

Use Search Console's Change of Address tool. Pair with IRPR's PR services for backlink outreach.

Common Website Redesign SEO Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Skipping Pre-Audit

Rushing without baseline data leads to untraceable drops. IRPR Agency mandates audits, saving clients months of guesswork.

❌ Ignoring Redirects

Temporary 302s become permanent losses. Always default to 301s for equity transfer.

❌ Overhauling URL Structures

Changing /blog/post to /content/article kills rankings. Stick to evolutions, not revolutions.

❌ Neglecting Mobile and Speed

Indian users abandon slow sites—63% on mobile. Test rigorously for Core Web Vitals.

Website Redesign SEO Timeline

Weeks 1-2: Planning Phase

Complete audit and URL mapping. IRPR Agency aligns this with design wireframes.

Weeks 3-6: Development Phase

Build on staging, implement redirects and on-page tweaks. Test weekly.

Week 7: Launch and Monitor

Go live mid-week; track GSC for 48 hours. Recover any dips immediately.

Month 1-3: Optimization Phase

Refine based on data. IRPR's 98% satisfaction comes from this ongoing support.

Your Quick Post-Redesign SEO Checklist

✅ Submit updated XML sitemap to Google Search Console

✅ Verify all 301 redirects work (use Screaming Frog)

✅ Check Core Web Vitals scores for top pages

✅ Monitor rankings for 100 core keywords daily

✅ Audit internal links and fix orphans

✅ Update schema markup and test rich results

✅ Set up performance alerts in Google Analytics

✅ Outreach to backlink sources about URL changes

Master Website Redesign SEO with Confidence

Follow this checklist, and your redesign will fuel growth, not setbacks. Indian businesses in Pune, Mumbai, and beyond have doubled traffic with IRPR Agency's expertise across 50+ industries.

As your full-service partner, IRPR combines SEO, web development, and technology for flawless executions. Learn more about our SEO services at irpr.agency/seo and elevate your online presence today.

Website Redesign SEO Checklist: Avoid Traffic Drops