Website Redesigns Can Hurt Search Rankings Even When URLs Stay the Same

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A common belief holds that SEO is unaffected if a site's URLs stay unchanged, but this overlooks several other elements Google evaluates. The article explains that redirect maps only safeguard URLs, while titles, internal links, rendered HTML, and template performance can still disrupt rankings. It notes that these changes often appear in Search Console in ways that are easy to misread. The piece also warns that redesign projects can alter the analytics data needed to judge whether the redesign succeeded. It further points out that a single brief labeled 'redesign' may involve template, URL, and platform changes, each carrying its own risks.

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ProgrammingDEV Community ·

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ProgrammingDEV Community ·

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