When you launch a new website, it can have a significant impact on your existing SEO. Search engines like Google use complex algorithms to determine the relevance and authority of websites, and a new website can disrupt the existing balance.
If you don’t take certain steps to preserve your existing SEO, your new website may not rank as well in search engine results pages (SERPs) as your old one did. Here are some of the dangers you need to be aware of:
- Loss of existing backlinks: Backlinks are an important factor in SEO, as they indicate the relevance and authority of a website. If you launch a new website without taking steps to preserve your existing backlinks, you could lose valuable link equity that was built up over time.
- Content: Your new website should have the same or similar content on your pages. This helps preserve current rankings with minimal disruptions to traffic.
- Broken links: When you launch a new website, there may be broken links that lead to 404 error pages. This can harm your SEO, as it can disrupt the user experience and make it harder for search engines to crawl and index your website.
- Keyword cannibalisation: Keyword cannibalisation occurs when you have multiple pages on your website targeting the same keywords. This can confuse search engines and harm your SEO, as it dilutes the relevance and authority of each page.
- Slow load times: If your new website is slow to load, this can harm your SEO. Search engines prefer websites that load quickly, as it provides a better user experience.
To avoid these dangers, it’s important to take certain steps when launching a new website. Firstly, make sure to redirect your old website to your new one using 301 redirects. This will preserve your existing backlinks and ensure that users and search engines are directed to the correct pages on your new website.
Secondly, make sure to create original, high-quality content that is relevant to your target audience. This will help you avoid duplicate content issues and improve your SEO.
Thirdly, use tools like Google Search Console and Screaming Frog to identify and fix any broken links on your website. This will ensure that users and search engines can access all of your content.
Lastly, make sure to optimise your website for speed by compressing images, minimising code, and using a fast hosting provider. This will improve the user experience and help you rank higher in SERPs.
In summary, launching a new website can be risky if you don’t take the necessary steps to preserve your existing SEO. By taking the precautions outlined above, you can avoid these dangers and ensure that your new website ranks well in search engine results pages.
