{"id":44308,"date":"2020-03-24T10:00:04","date_gmt":"2020-03-24T09:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hybridagency.be\/blog\/analysis\/wat-is-belangrijk-bij-een-nieuwe-website\/"},"modified":"2025-09-23T10:49:59","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T08:49:59","slug":"what-is-important-when-launching-a-new-website","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hybridagency.be\/en\/blog\/web-design-and-development\/what-is-important-when-launching-a-new-website\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t lose Google rankings with a new or updated website"},"content":{"rendered":"

After weeks of hard work, the moment has finally arrived\u2026 Your new or updated website is ready to go live. A final test puts your mind at ease: all content is flawless and in the right place\u2014check. Forms, downloads, and sales channels work seamlessly\u2014check. Your tracking scripts are sending the correct data\u2014check. Your ads are ready to drive quality traffic to relevant pages\u2014check. Checklist\u2026 double-check. This new site is going to shine!<\/p>\n

However, after a few days or weeks, you notice that all the parameters you hoped to improve with your website update\u2014more visitors, leads, and sales\u2014are falling short in practice. What now?<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

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\"Traffic<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Identifying the cause of the decline<\/h2>\n

Through analysis, you can determine which search terms have lost ranking in Google or identify specific web pages that have been most impacted by your website update or migration.<\/p>\n

Loss of ranking<\/h3>\n

Are you ranking lower for certain search terms than before? Using specific software and ranking trackers, you can retrieve historical ranking data and compare it with the current situation. Most website owners already have an idea of the terms they ranked well for in the past. Search Console<\/a> can assist in listing and verifying these search terms.<\/p>\n

Traffic on your landing pages<\/h3>\n

Check through Google Analytics which pages of your site are most commonly used as landing pages by visitors. A landing page is the first page through which a visitor enters your website. This could be your homepage, a product detail page, a services overview, or a specific blog page.<\/p>\n

Compare the data from before with the period after your launch or update. You might find that a page that used to function frequently as an entry point no longer exists in your new design. Without content, there\u2019s no traffic. If the page does exist but receives little or significantly less traffic, further investigation is needed to determine whether a different issue (possibly technical) is at play.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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What is a redirect?<\/h2>\n

A redirect is a way to forward visitors from one page on your website to another. It is used when a URL is changed, guiding visitors from the old URL to the new one. Through this mechanism, users accessing the old URL will be seamlessly directed to the new page.<\/p>\n

Example:<\/strong>
\nOld contact form URL (website.be\/contact) \u2192 New contact form URL (website.be\/contacteer-ons).
\nA redirect tells browsers and search engines that the old URL has been replaced by the new one.<\/p>\n

There are different types of redirects, each identified by a specific status code. The most common redirects are HTTP 301 (“permanently moved”) and HTTP 302 (“temporarily moved”).<\/p>\n

Why set up a redirect?<\/h3>\n

Setting up a redirect is crucial for maintaining your website\u2019s search engine rankings. If a page\u2019s URL changes, search engines will treat it as a completely new page. All the value\u2014such as ranking\u2014you\u2019ve built over time for that specific page will be lost. Without a redirect, Google essentially starts from scratch, and rebuilding rankings takes time.<\/p>\n

Forgetting to set up a redirect can lead to a loss of ranking in search engines, forcing you to begin anew.<\/p>\n

Redirects also impact your website\u2019s authority. Backlinks (links from external sites) increase your site\u2019s authority, which is a key factor for good rankings. Without a redirect, backlinks to your site will lead to non-existent pages (404 errors), resulting in broken links. This means the authority from these external links is no longer passed to your website. Over time, this loss of authority can allow competitors to surpass your position in search engine results.<\/p>\n

From a user experience perspective, encountering a 404 error message\u2014”This page does not exist”\u2014is frustrating and confusing for visitors. While it\u2019s best to avoid 404 errors altogether, you can design an appealing 404 page that explains the issue, offers assistance, and provides alternative navigation options as a safety net.<\/p>\n

Setting up a 301 Permanent Redirect<\/h3>\n

When launching a new or updated website, you should permanently link old URLs to new ones. This is known as a 301 Permanent Redirect<\/strong>. This redirect type is only necessary when the URL structure changes and should only be applied if the content remains largely unchanged.<\/p>\n

Example:<\/strong>
\nThe old contact page URL (website.be\/contact) differs from the new one (website.be\/contacteer-ons). In this case, a 301 Permanent Redirect should be set up. If the URL remains the same (website.be\/contact), a redirect is not required.<\/p>\n

Given the potential number of old URLs needing redirection, creating a redirect plan<\/strong> is essential. This helps ensure that no links are overlooked, maintaining both your website\u2019s user experience and search engine performance.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

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\"Redirects\"<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Step-by-Step Plan for Maintaining Rankings When Updating Your Website<\/h2>\n

Before starting a website migration, it\u2019s essential to follow these steps to preserve your rankings as much as possible:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Map Out Your Current URLs<\/strong>
    \nDocument all the existing URLs on your current website. This creates a clear overview of the structure and ensures no pages are overlooked during the migration.<\/li>\n
  2. Map Out Your New URLs<\/strong>
    \nList the URLs for your new website to match them with the old ones.<\/li>\n
  3. Create a Redirect Plan<\/strong>\n