Don’t Tank Your Traffic: How to Keep Your Google Ranking When Rebuilding Your Website

Published by Katy Doss, Script CEO | April 8, 2025

You finally did it. Your website is ranking on Google.

Maybe it’s showing up for “luxury pool builder in Austin” or “custom outdoor kitchens in Charleston.” The leads are coming in, and for once, you’re not yelling into the digital void.

And then… you decide it’s time for a new website.

Maybe your site looks dated. Maybe your platform is clunky. Maybe you just really want one of those cool fade-in hero images. Totally understandable.

But here’s the deal: if you don’t handle your redesign the right way, you can wipe out years of hard-earned SEO performance—and send your site right back to page 5 of Google. (A place no one visits unless they’ve truly lost hope.)

Want more depth? Check out our corresponding podcast episode!

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Why Website Authority Matters

Website authority—also called domain authority or site authority—is like your site’s digital reputation. It’s a score (typically 1–100) that tells search engines, “Hey, this business knows what it’s doing.”

Authority is built over time through:

Backlinks from other trusted sites
Quality content
Fast, mobile-friendly pages
A trustworthy history

If your site is ranking well right now, it has authority. The goal during a redesign is to protect that authority like it’s your retirement fund.

The 5 SEO Saboteurs to Avoid During a Rebuild

Here are the top ways businesses accidentally crush their search rankings during a website update:

1. Changing URLs Without Redirects

Google sees URLs like street addresses. If you move but don’t leave a forwarding address (aka a 301 redirect), Google—and your visitors—hit a dead end.

Example:

Old: abccompany.com/outdoor-fireplaces
New: abccompany.com/services/fireplaces

Without a redirect? You just ghosted Google.

Fix: Keep URLs consistent where possible. If you must change them, set up 301 redirects from the old pages to the new ones.

2. Deleting High-Performing Content

Clean design is great. But if you remove content that was ranking—say goodbye to that traffic.

Google can’t rank content that isn’t there. And it definitely can’t rank words baked into a graphic.

Fix: Audit your current site. Keep or repurpose content that’s performing well. Update it if needed—but don’t throw it out just because it doesn’t match your new vibe.

3. Skipping Redirects Altogether

This one hurts. If someone clicks a link from Google and lands on a 404 page? You lose credibility—and probably the lead.

Fix: Before launch, build a redirect map. Every page that’s being removed or renamed needs a redirect.

4. Slowing Down Your Site

That beautiful new site with the full-screen video and high-res photography? It better load fast. Because Google (and your buyers) won’t wait around.

Fix: Compress your images, optimize your code, and test your site speed on mobile devices. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix can help.

5. Forgetting to Resubmit Your Sitemap

Google doesn’t automatically know you’ve launched a new site. If you don’t tell it, it might take weeks—or months—for your pages to show up in search again.

Fix: After launch, submit your new sitemap in Google Search Console. Then monitor your performance and fix any crawl errors that pop up.

Your Pre-Launch SEO Checklist

Here’s a quick step-by-step to make sure your new website doesn’t tank your SEO:

Benchmark Your Current SEO

Pull reports from Google Analytics and Google Search Console.
Know your top-performing pages and keywords before anything changes.

Crawl Your Site

Use a tool like Screaming Frog to map your current URL structure.

Create a Redirect Map

Plan redirects for every page that’s going away or being renamed.

Preserve (or Improve) Strong Content

Don’t delete what’s working. Update it, polish it, but keep it live.

Test Site Speed and Mobile Usability

Most affluent buyers are on mobile. Make sure your site loads quickly and looks polished.

Submit Your Sitemap

Use Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools to submit your sitemap and monitor performance.

Why This Really Matters for Affluent Buyers

High-end buyers aren’t casual clickers. They vet before they call.

They Google your brand. They scan your site. If they hit a broken page, get stuck waiting for it to load, or can’t find what they’re looking for? They move on—quietly. No feedback. No “hey just FYI.” They’re gone.

Protecting your SEO during a redesign isn’t just about search engines—it’s about maintaining the trust and professionalism that affluent buyers expect.

Final Word: A New Site Should Elevate You—Not Erase You

A great website should boost your brand and your visibility. Don’t trade rankings for a prettier homepage.

If you’re planning a site rebuild, grab our free guide: “Don’t Tank Your Traffic”—a one-page checklist to walk you through everything we’ve talked about here.

You can download it at scriptmarketingco.com/resources.