If you’re like most business owners, you probably think about redesigning your website every few years. It’s a great way to keep your site looking fresh, and it can also help improve your search engine rankings. But if you’re not careful, a website redesign can seriously damage your ranking – or even get your site banned from Google altogether. So how do you safely redesign your website without harming your search engine results? Here are four tips to help you out.

1. Don’t make major changes to your URL structure

One of the most common mistakes people make when redesigning their website is changing their URL structure. This can have a devastating effect on your search engine ranking, as it will cause all of your existing links to become broken. If you absolutely must change your URL structure, be sure to set up a 301 redirect from your old URLs to your new ones. This will tell search engines that your content has moved permanently, and they’ll update their indexes accordingly.

2. Keep your content intact

Another common mistake people make when redesigning their website is deleting old content or moving it to a new location. This can also have a negative impact on your search engine ranking, as it will cause you to lose any existing links pointing to that content. If you must delete or move your content, be sure to set up a 301 redirect so that search engines can find your new content.

3. Use keyword-rich titles and descriptions

When redesigning your website, be sure to use keyword-rich titles and descriptions for your pages. This will help improve your search engine ranking by making it easier for people to find your site when they’re searching for relevant keywords.

4. Don’t forget about mobile

In today’s world, more and more people are accessing the internet from their mobile devices. So when redesigning your website, be sure to keep mobile users in mind. Make sure your site is designed to be mobile-friendly, and use responsive design to ensure that your content looks great on all devices.

5. Test, test, test

Finally, before you launch your new website, be sure to test it thoroughly. Check all of your links to make sure they’re working, and run a few tests to see how your site looks on different devices. This will help you catch any last-minute problems and ensure that your site is ready for the world to see.

6. Monitor your search engine rankings

Once your new website is live, keep an eye on your search engine rankings. If you notice a sudden drop in traffic or rankings, it could be an indication that something went wrong with your redesign. Contact your SEO company or web developer to find out what happened and how to fix it.

7. Be patient

It takes time for search engines to index and ranks new websites. So don’t expect your redesign to have an immediate impact on your traffic or rankings. Be patient and give it a few weeks or even months to see the full results.

Redesigning your website can be a great way to give your business a fresh start. Just be sure to follow these tips to avoid damaging your search engine ranking in the process. And if you’re not sure how to safely redesign your website, contact an experienced SEO company or web developer for help. They’ll be able to guide you through the process and ensure that your new site is designed for success.