What SEO Activities Should Be Paused During a Major Website Redesign?

During a major website redesign, it’s wise to pause activities like extensive link-building campaigns, content publishing, and A/B testing. These efforts rely heavily on a stable site structure and design, which will be in flux during a redesign. Focusing your resources on ensuring the redesign aligns with SEO best practices is more beneficial.

Why Pausing SEO Activities Matters

Imagine you’re driving a car that’s getting a new engine. You wouldn’t try to push it to top speed during the swap, right? The same logic applies to SEO during a website redesign. Your site’s structure, content, and user experience are all undergoing major changes. Any ongoing SEO activities could become misaligned with these new elements, potentially wasting time and resources.

Take a B2B software company, for instance. They might be knee-deep in a redesign to improve user experience and update their branding. If they continue with their link-building strategy without considering the new structure, they risk building links to pages that won’t exist in a few months. It’s like trying to fill a bucket with a hole in it.

SEO Tasks to Put on Hold

Now, let’s get practical. Here are some SEO activities you should consider pausing during your redesign:

• Link-Building Campaigns: Hold off on aggressive link-building until your new site structure is finalised. You don’t want to waste efforts on URLs that might change or disappear.

• Content Publishing: Delay publishing new content that depends on existing site architecture. It’s better to align new content with the redesigned site’s goals and structure.

• A/B Testing: Postpone any A/B testing related to site elements that are being redesigned. Testing during a redesign can lead to skewed results and misinformed decisions.

• Technical SEO Audits: Save comprehensive audits for after the redesign. Your site’s technical landscape will shift significantly, making pre-redesign audits potentially obsolete.

• Keyword Strategy Overhaul: Avoid major changes to your keyword strategy until the redesign is complete. The new design may open up fresh opportunities or require adjustments.

By pausing these activities, you can focus on integrating SEO into the redesign process itself. It’s about setting the stage for a more effective SEO strategy once the new site is live.

A Friendly Nudge

Let’s be honest. Redesigns can be chaotic. There’s a lot on your plate, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed. But remember, this is an opportunity. Use the downtime to reassess your SEO goals and strategies. Work closely with your design and development teams to ensure SEO is baked into the new site from the ground up.

And if you need a hand, don’t hesitate to reach out to a search engine optimisation expert. A seasoned SEO consultant can guide you through this transition, ensuring that your redesign doesn’t derail your SEO efforts.

Remember, a well-executed redesign can set the stage for improved rankings and a better user experience. So, take a deep breath, pause what needs pausing, and get ready for a fresh start.