Imagine spending months (and thousands of naira) on a beautiful new website for your Lagos business. It launches…and your search rankings plummet. Customers who used to find you easily on Google are now lost in the digital wilderness. This is the website redesign nightmare, and it’s more common than you’d think. But fear not – there IS a way to modernize your website AND protect your local SEO.
Challenges of Local SEO After Website Redesign
A website redesign isn’t just about design. For businesses serving the Lagos area, it’s crucial to consider how these changes impact your local search visibility. Here are the major hurdles:
- NAP Inconsistency: The Silent Killer Your Name, Address, and Phone Number are the foundation of local SEO. Even the slightest change across your website, Google Business Profile, and online directories can confuse search engines and erode trust in your business.
- Location Pages: Lost and Forgotten If your old site had pages dedicated to specific neighborhoods or areas within Lagos, those valuable assets can easily disappear during a redesign, hurting your local relevance.
- Bad Backlinks: Your Past Haunts You Old, outdated directory listings or low-quality websites linking to your old website can drag down your rankings. Cleaning these up is vital.
Pre-Redesign Checklist: Protecting Your Search Presence
Before starting ANY design work on your website, do the following
- Local SEO Audit:
- Run a backlink audit using tools like Semrush or Ahrefs. Pay special attention to sites mentioning “Lagos” + your industry.
- Document every online listing of your business, ensuring perfect NAP consistency.
- Use Google Search Console to identify which of your pages perform best in local Lagos searches.
- Backup Everything: Create a full backup of your current website. This is your safety net in case anything goes wrong.
- Document Your Stats: Take screenshots of your Google Business Profile Insights (especially reviews!) and rankings for important local keywords. This establishes a baseline for comparison.
What to Watch Out for During Redesign
- 301 Redirects: A 301 redirect tells search engines that a page has permanently moved to a new address. This ensures that when someone clicks an old link (from bookmarks, backlinks, etc.), they’re seamlessly taken to the correct page, preserving the value of old links. Setting up redirects is a technical process – ensure your web developer understands their SEO importance!
- Technical SEO: This is your chance to fix any underlying technical SEO issues holding you back.
- Mobile Matters: Ensure your new design is flawless on smartphones – vital for Lagos searches.
- Speed: Implement image optimization and coding best practices to improve load times after your website redesign.
- Schema Markup: Use structured data specific to local businesses (hours, address, etc.).
- Protect Your Winning Content: Refer to your pre-redesign audit. Pages that already rank well for local terms must be preserved or improved. Don’t lose those valuable keyword positions after your website redesign.
Monitoring and Adapting after your Website Redesign
The launch of your new website is NOT the end of the SEO journey! Here’s how to ensure your gains continue:
- Location-Focused Rank Tracking: Don’t just track generic keywords. Use tools like Semrush’s Position Tracking to see how you rank for “Lagos + [your services]” in Google Maps.
- Proactive Outreach: Refer to your backlink audit and begin updating any listings with your new website URL. Contact website owners directly to fix incorrect old links.
- Adapt and Improve: SEO, especially local SEO, is always evolving. Stay informed about best practices and run regular audits to identify areas for further optimization.
Let’s Talk About Your Website!
Are YOU ready to transform your website into a powerful tool for attracting your ideal clientele? We specialize in SEO-first redesigns that boost rankings and grow revenue. Contact us today for a free consultation and see how we can help!
