Greetings!

There is a service-related business website made on a Wix template with up to 10 pages that comes with site access as part of the purchase price. Despite being outdated in terms of design and usability, the old site ranks well for several queries in the top 5 and top 10.

Question 1: How can we minimize the organic drawdown while creating a new site on the same domain name?

Question 2: A marketer suggested saving all the pages of the old site along with their URLs and transferring these URLs as links to corresponding sections of the new site, preferably in an inconspicuous location. However, the programmer had an opposite opinion, claiming that SEO customers usually prefer to keep the old URLs and incorporate new content into them. I am uncertain which approach to take.

Additionally, it's crucial to ensure that the new site has an optimized structure and relevant content to maintain or improve its ranking. Thank you.

It's advisable to retain the old URLs and content when revamping a website. But, if the existing URLs are poor quality, it's preferable to use 301 redirects to transfer the pages to new URLs while still keeping the old content.

In case of a slight decrease in traffic during the transition period, everything should return to normal soon enough. It's crucial to ensure that the new content is relevant, informative, and optimized for search engines.

It's advisable to keep the old URLs intact along with their original content. If possible, creating new pages and transferring the existing content to them can ensure the advanced pages remain in the top rankings. Once the new pages are set up, a 301 redirect from the old URIs to the new ones can be established. This strategy can help to retain organic traffic while implementing changes to the website.

Each perspective has its merits, but they approach the situation from their respective fields. From a marketing and SEO standpoint, transferring links to the new site can significantly aid in promotion, although it might be difficult to achieve the same level of success as the old site (especially if it's already in the top ten rankings). Though redirects still have a role to play, they are usually more effective on the original site.

On the other hand, the programmer's perspective is also valid. Old links may not be visually appealing, and creating superior content for the new site can be beneficial, as search engines prioritize "fresh" content. Ultimately, it's essential to strike a balance between retaining valuable elements of the old site while incorporating new and improved features for long-term success.

A recommended approach is to build the new site on a subdomain, ensuring that it's fully optimized and functional before migrating it to the main domain while simultaneously combining all the existing pages.

To avoid any loss of traffic in the process, it's important to save the primary page in HTML format and upload it to a temporary or subdomain while directing the traffic there. However, it's crucial not to restrict access to the Google AdsBot robot as it's responsible for assessing the quality of the page in Adwords.

Additionally, it's essential to conduct thorough testing, including functionality and performance, before redirecting all traffic to the new site. Taking these steps can help maintain organic traffic while ensuring the success of the website update.

Maintaining strong SEO rankings requires a thoughtful and strategic approach. Here are steps and considerations for achieving this:

1. Content Audit and Mapping: Begin by conducting a comprehensive audit of the existing website's content. Identify the pages that currently rank well for specific queries and are driving valuable organic traffic. This will help in determining which content should be prioritized for replication on the new site. Create a content map that outlines the relationships between the old and new pages, ensuring that valuable content is not lost during the transition.

2. URL Structure and Redirects: It's important to carefully consider the URL structure for the new site. While creating new, optimized URLs for the updated website is crucial, preserving the link equity of the old URLs is also essential. Implementing 301 redirects from the old, high-performing URLs to their corresponding new pages will ensure that the authority and ranking power built by the old pages are transferred to the new site. This seamless redirect strategy will help maintain organic visibility and rankings.

3. Design and Usability: The new site should feature a modern, user-friendly design that enhances usability and provides a seamless experience for visitors. This includes responsive design to ensure compatibility with various devices and screen sizes. Optimizing the site for mobile devices is particularly important, as search engines prioritize mobile-friendly websites in their rankings.

4. Keyword Research and Content Optimization: Conduct thorough keyword research to identify opportunities for additional content creation and optimization. The new site should feature relevant, high-quality content that aligns with target keywords and search intents. Incorporate these key terms naturally into the content, keeping user experience at the forefront. By addressing user needs and search intents effectively, the site can maintain or improve its ranking potential.

5. Site Structure and Navigation: Develop an optimized site structure with clear navigation that facilitates easy access to relevant content. This includes logical categorization of pages and an intuitive internal linking structure to guide both users and search engine crawlers through the site efficiently. Pay attention to breadcrumb navigation, site maps, and internal linking to ensure a cohesive and well-organized structure.

6. Monitoring and Optimization: After the new site is launched, closely monitor organic traffic, keyword rankings, and user engagement metrics. This ongoing monitoring will allow for refinements and optimizations based on real-time data. It's important to continuously assess the performance of the new site and make adjustments as needed to maintain or enhance SEO rankings.

By adhering to these detailed steps and considerations, the transition to a new site can be orchestrated in a way that minimizes organic drawdown and successfully preserves or improves SEO rankings. This comprehensive approach, spanning content, URLs, design, usability, content optimization, and ongoing monitoring, will contribute to a successful transition while safeguarding organic visibility.