Introduction
Many newly redesigned websites often fail to retain or improve their search engine optimization (SEO), causing a significant loss in traffic and business visibility. This oversight can heavily impact lead generation, sales, and overall business success.
To prevent this, effective website planning that prioritizes SEO from the outset is crucial. In this guide, we present a comprehensive framework for planning a new website to retain existing traffic and create a robust platform for SEO enhancement.
Key Website Planning Steps for SEO
1. Analyze Existing Rankings and Traffic
Understanding your current traffic sources is vital for retaining SEO performance. Utilize tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to identify the following:
- High-ranking keywords
- High-traffic pages
- Content driving significant traffic
- High-opportunity keywords and pages
Document these findings in your planning template to ensure they are incorporated into your new site structure.
Tools and Techniques
Google Search Console: This tool provides detailed insights into your current rankings and traffic. Focus on high-opportunity keywords and pages with many impressions but few clicks.
- Navigate to: Performance > Search Results
- Analyze data in the queries and pages tabs
Website Crawl Data: Use crawl tools like Screaming Frog to create a snapshot of your current site. This helps in comparing link structures post-redesign to ensure nothing critical is lost.
SEO Tools: While tools like Search Console and Google Analytics provide real data, additional rank-tracking tools can complement your analysis.
2. Define Clear SEO and Overall Website Goals
Establishing clear, hierarchical goals for the new website project is fundamental. These goals guide decision-making throughout the project and ensure alignment with SEO objectives.
Example Goals
- Website Goal: Increase lead generation and sales.
- SEO Goals:
- Improve rankings for service pages.
- Enhance visibility for marketing content.
Avoid potential pitfalls by also setting anti-goals, such as differentiating significantly from competitors.
3. Identify Audience and Customer Segments
Define your target audiences with precision. Tailoring your content to specific demographics ensures better engagement and SEO optimization.
Key Questions to Ask:
- Who are the different audience segments (e.g., age, location, interests)?
- What problems or goals do they have?
- Where do they find information online?
Using frameworks like the SEO Value Proposition Template and SCAMPER helps understand audience needs and develop targeted content.
4. Structure and Sitemap
Developing a well-organized sitemap ensures that your new website retains necessary high-traffic content and aligns with your SEO goals.
Creating a Sitemap:
- Start with a simple bullet-point list to outline major categories and pages.
- Use tools like Draw.io to visualize the sitemap.
Careful planning at this stage helps gather feedback from stakeholders and address potential issues early, saving time and resources.
5. Page Scoping
Detailing the content and functionality for each page is essential. For each page, note:
- The goal of the page
- Required functionality (forms, media, etc.)
- Specific content needs
- SEO elements (page titles, meta descriptions)
- Additional notes
This comprehensive approach ensures that each page supports your SEO and overall website goals.
6. Address SEO Specifics
Ensure the following actions are part of your plan to retain and improve SEO:
- Keep the old site live temporarily for comparison.
- Create a redirection list for old URLs to new URLs.
- Migrate content and SEO metadata for high-performing pages.
- Update external backlinks where possible.
- Monitor post-launch performance closely.
Comprehensive Website Plan
Your detailed website plan should include:
- Analysis of existing rankings and traffic
- Clear project and SEO goals
- Defined customer segments
- A well-structured sitemap
- Thorough page scoping details
- SEO-specific considerations
Launch and Post-Launch Monitoring
Carefully monitor your site post-launch using tools like Google Search Console to quickly identify and resolve any issues.
By meticulously planning and adhering to these steps, you enhance your chances of retaining and improving SEO performance, ensuring sustained traffic and business growth.
Contributing authors are chosen for their expertise and contributions to the search community. They work under the oversight of our editorial staff to ensure quality and relevance.
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