Search intent
Businesses searching for a redesign checklist usually know the current site is underperforming. They need a safe route from old site to better site without losing useful rankings or enquiries.
Before design starts
- Audit existing pages, rankings and enquiries
- List URLs that must be kept, merged or redirected
- Identify thin, duplicated or outdated pages
- Review analytics and form submissions
- Clarify the new business positioning
- Map priority services and locations
During design
- Use one clear H1 per page
- Plan H2s around buyer questions
- Put the main CTA above the fold
- Include proof where it reduces doubt
- Design mobile layouts first for key journeys
- Avoid hiding essential content behind heavy interactions
During development
- Add unique metadata and self-referencing canonicals
- Use server-rendered metadata in Next.js
- Add JSON-LD schema where content is visible
- Optimise image dimensions and alt text
- Keep JavaScript light on landing pages
- Test Core Web Vitals and mobile usability
Launch checks
- Test redirects
- Submit the sitemap
- Check robots.txt
- Crawl internal links
- Test forms
- Validate schema
- Monitor Search Console after launch
Helpful internal routes
See our website redesign service, Next.js development service and local SEO service.
FAQs
Should every old page be redirected?
Every useful indexed URL should have a planned destination. Pages with no value can return a proper 404, but accidental dead ends should be avoided.
Can a redesign improve rankings?
Yes, if it improves content quality, technical performance, internal links and search intent alignment. A redesign can also hurt rankings if migration is careless.
Planning a redesign?
Request a free website audit before replacing the current site.
