Website redesign checklist: keep your rankings, fix your conversions
By Kiara DalmiaContent Writer, Advorize
The short answer
A safe website redesign starts with an audit of what already ranks and converts, maps every old URL to a new one with 301 redirects, migrates content deliberately, re-installs tracking before launch, and monitors rankings and conversions for weeks afterwards.
Key takeaways
- Never launch a redesign without a URL map and 301 redirects.
- Keep the pages that already rank; improve them, don't delete them.
- Install and test tracking on staging, not after launch.
- Watch Search Console daily for the first two weeks.
Redesigns fail in two ways: the new site looks better but ranks worse, or it ranks the same but converts no better. Both are avoidable with a checklist.
Before design starts
- Export every URL with traffic, rankings and backlinks.
- List the pages that convert and the forms or calls they drive.
- Audit speed and Core Web Vitals on the current site.
- Interview sales and support about what visitors ask before buying.
Before launch
- 301 redirect every old URL to its closest new page.
- Keep titles, H1s and content for pages that rank, unless improving them.
- Compress heavy assets — images, videos and brochure PDFs.
- Test forms, tracking and thank-you pages on staging.
- Submit the new sitemap in Search Console on launch day.
Our website redesign services follow this checklist on every project, alongside the conversion-first design approach in our web portfolio.
Sources
Written by
Kiara Dalmia
Content Writer, Advorize
Kiara writes Advorize's guides on design, development and digital systems, turning the team's project work into practical, plain-language answers.