A Website Redesign Checklist That Includes SEO

Create an inventory of important page URLs and the role each page serves. Include the main service or product pages, useful articles, enquiry destinations and any pages receiving relevant search traffic. Record content and measurement information before replacing the site.

Do not judge importance only by appearance in the current menu. An older landing page may still receive useful traffic or external links. Ask the business which pages support real enquiries, sales or customer support, and combine that knowledge with the available analytics and search data.

For every important old page, decide whether its URL stays, its content moves or it is intentionally retired. Identify the most relevant new destination where a move is necessary. Sending unrelated old pages to the homepage creates a poor experience for someone expecting a specific answer.

Google’s migration guidance covers URL mapping and permanent redirects when URLs change. Treat the mapping as a reviewed project document, not a collection of last-minute rules. Assign an owner to uncertain pages so the developer is not left guessing what should replace them.

Review the purpose of each important page before shortening its copy or merging it with another. Identify the information that helps visitors decide and the terms that accurately describe the service or product. A cleaner layout does not require removing every detailed explanation.

Record the reason for significant content changes. If a service is no longer offered, accuracy should guide the update. If a paragraph is simply being relocated into an expandable section, confirm that the new experience remains readable and that the information is present where intended.

Check titles, descriptions, canonical URLs, indexing directives, internal links and the sitemap. Make sure the new site does not retain preview-domain references or an accidental instruction excluding public pages from search. Review representative templates rather than assuming one working page proves the whole site.

Test redirected URLs through to their final destination and update internal links to point where they should lead. Google recommends avoiding unnecessary redirect chains during a move. Also include important images and downloadable resources in the migration review where their locations have changed.

A redesign can leave the page looking correct while changing the event that a tracking setup depends on. Document the intended business outcomes, their trigger points and the accounts receiving them. Review successful submissions or purchases in a controlled test.

Check phone, email and messaging links as well as forms. If the site changes a contact journey from a button to a modal or from a modal to a new page, confirm that both the user experience and the measurement definition still match the intended outcome.

Agree who checks the site after launch and how issues are reported. Compare the new version with the original inventory, not just a screenshot of the homepage. Monitor important page access, enquiry delivery and available search information while recognising that a migration can take time to be processed.

Your release pack should include:

• The old-to-new URL mapping and any intentional removals.
• Approved content changes and their owners.
• Redirect, canonical, sitemap and indexing checks.
• Evidence for the key customer journeys and tracking tests.
• A rollback or recovery plan appropriate to the hosting setup.

Keep the migration records after publication. They provide the context needed to distinguish a temporary observation from a specific defect that the team can reproduce and fix.