Key Takeaways
- Plan URL mapping before any redesign starts
- 301 redirect every changed URL - no exceptions
- Keep high-traffic page titles stable where possible
- Submit updated sitemap on launch day
- Monitor Search Console for 404 spikes after go-live
Redesigning your Cheshire business website is exciting until organic traffic drops three weeks later because nobody mapped the old URLs. That scenario is avoidable with a disciplined migration plan.
Before you touch design
Export a list of every indexed URL from Google Search Console. Note which pages drive impressions and clicks. These are your priority pages - their URLs, titles, and core content should change as little as possible unless you have a strategic reason.
During the build
Match old URLs exactly where you can. Where you cannot, create a redirect map: old path → new path. Test redirects on staging before launch. Keep your domain unless there is an exceptional business case against it.
Launch day checklist
- All 301 redirects live and tested
- SSL certificate active sitewide
- robots.txt allows crawling
- sitemap.xml updated and submitted
- Google Analytics and Search Console verified
- Core pages requested for indexing in Search Console
After launch
Watch Search Console Coverage and crawl stats for two to four weeks. Fix 404s immediately. Avoid renaming URLs again during this period - let Google settle.
Digedtal handles migration as standard on every Northwich and Cheshire redesign. See our website design service or discuss your relaunch.
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