Launching a website is probably one of the riskiest SEO endeavors around, as with the flip of a switch it can go from complete SEO bliss to catastrophe.
Ask any experienced SEO and they'll likely have a horror story or two about launching a site, whether it was down to their own lack of knowledge or experience or something completely out of their control.
My hope with today's post is that you'll learn something from the lessons I've learned building websites over the last decade, or at the very least, help alleviate one site launch tragedy.
Below are some of the main lessons I learned, in no particular order of importance.
1. Excluding low-traffic pages from redirects during site launch is dangerous
I learned this lesson the hard way many years ago when I worked for an agency.
Whatever the reason, back then, they only redirected the top 500 pages on a site based on traffic, links, and overall page authority.
If it is a CMS page (such as a category page), those will also be redirected.
For the rest, if we found a way to redirect most of them at a larger scale, we did so. If we couldn't, we just cut them off.
When managing an e-commerce site with thousands of pages, low search traffic to a particular page or set of pages can result in hundreds or thousands of visits overall, which can significantly reduce your overall traffic after launch.
If you want to avoid any kind of traffic loss, make sure you take the time up front with your web team to discuss a 301 redirect strategy so that you can redirect most, if not all, of your old pages to the new ones.
Learn more: SEO during website development and post-launch: Important considerations
2. Redirect issues can cause major technical issues and traffic loss after your site launches.
Even the most perfect 301 redirect strategy can fail.
Not only is it important to have the right strategy and list in place, but it’s almost equally important to test your redirects right when you launch them to make sure they’re working properly.
Here are some things to check:
- Redirect chains.
- loop.
- 302 redirect.
To do this, I recommend using Screaming Frog's List Mode feature to upload a redirect list and audit your redirects by checking the final destination of each URL. Also, use a tool called WhereGoes to check for redirect loops and chains. For me, using multiple tools for testing is never a bad idea.
3. Changing the user experience can cause traffic to drop on your new site for a few months
I once worked on a furniture site, and they were going through all sorts of changes, from the overall site design to the navigation, filters, and checkout experience.
Making these changes is not a bad thing, but without proper testing, problems can quickly arise.
After launching, we experienced a drop in traffic and a drop in conversion rates. Customers were also having issues with checking out. There were a lot of issues, to say the least.
Over time, things got a little better, but I'm not sure I ever fully recovered.
While issues are expected with any release, a drop in conversion rate is a big sign that there's a problem with the user experience, especially when rolling out changes like updated navigation, different filters, or a new design.
This experience underscores the importance of having a skilled user experience team in a successful site launch – it will make or break the success of your site.
Learn more: 12 SEO Pitfalls to Avoid During Website Platform Migration
4. Not addressing SEO from the beginning is a recipe for disaster
Initially, I was only hired to work with an outside agency on a redirect strategy (and other SEO details) for the site relaunch of the furniture company I mentioned earlier.
I missed the site launch meeting. I didn't have access to the wireframes, designs, and related materials.
In retrospect I should have asked for more information, I assumed those aspects had been handled.
What I’ve learned since then is that it’s in your best interest to be actively involved in all areas that can impact your SEO.
A lot of people tend to overlook your work as an SEO, and it's better to assume people don't know what you know than to assume that SEOs are thinking about or addressing your work, because they probably aren't.
If it's been properly considered and properly addressed, that's great, you're one of the lucky few, and at least you know that you've done your due diligence.
Here are some things that should be involved in launching your site:
- Strategy meeting
- Wireframe/information architecture review
- Design/UX discussion
- Keyword research for new pages
- Staging site access and review
- 301 Redirect Strategy
- Post-launch review
This process can be further improved by improving collaboration between teams and communicating why their work is important and why.
This can be achieved through process improvements, documentation, training, and educating other teams. Often in SEO, you need to be your own advocate.
Learn more: How to use SEO education for stakeholder management
Overcoming the Perils of Site Launch
Launching a site is an inherently risky endeavor for SEOs, but with proper planning and inter-departmental coordination, potential pitfalls can be avoided.
While not an exhaustive guide, learning from the hard-won lessons outlined here can help you avoid common site launch mistakes that can set back your SEO efforts by months, or even years.
Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily those of Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.