--- title: "Website redesign: SEO checklist, preserve your traffic · WebConsulting" url: https://web-consulting.fr/en/guides/refonte-site-internet-checklist/ updated: 2026-08-30 --- Redesign 10 min · March 30, 2026 Page last updated on 26 August 2026 # Website redesign: the checklist to preserve your SEO How to redesign a site without losing your Google rankings: the 12 steps we apply. In this guide [Before the redesign](#avant) [During the redesign](#pendant) [After launch](#apres) ## Before the redesign Full crawl, 16-month Search Console export, mapping of performing pages, identification of pages to merge/remove/keep. Concretely, we export the last 16 months of Search Console data, identify the 20 best-performing pages and map every existing URL. Pages generating traffic but with outdated content are flagged for merging. Those never indexed are candidates for removal. ## During the redesign Page-by-page 301 redirect plan, canonical tag checks, preservation of major URLs, SEO QA on a staging environment. Every 301 redirect is tested individually before launch. We verify canonical tags point to the new URLs, internal linking is consistent, and Schema.org structured data is preserved or enriched. SEO QA happens on a staging environment, never directly in production. ## After launch Sitemap submission, daily rank monitoring for 8 weeks, fast 404 fixes, Core Web Vitals tracking. Residual 404s are fixed within 48 hours. We monitor Core Web Vitals daily during the first 8 weeks and compare before/after scores. A complete migration report is delivered at day 60, with ranking evolution on your 20 priority keywords. ## Questions & answers 01 How long before traffic recovers after a redesign? We track rankings daily for 8 weeks and deliver a migration report at day 60. Temporary drops from the switch usually resolve within this window if the redirect plan is done well. 02 What happens if some pages aren't redirected correctly? Residual 404s are fixed within 48 hours thanks to the daily monitoring set up after launch. ### Need a hand? Our teams handle this type of mission from A to Z, with a tailored proposal adapted to your context. [Talk about your project](/en/contact/) Partager [](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fweb-consulting.fr%2Fguides%2Frefonte-site-internet-checklist%2F&title=Website%20redesign%3A%20the%20checklist%20to%20preserve%20your%20SEO)[](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Website%20redesign%3A%20the%20checklist%20to%20preserve%20your%20SEO&url=https%3A%2F%2Fweb-consulting.fr%2Fguides%2Frefonte-site-internet-checklist%2F)[](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fweb-consulting.fr%2Fguides%2Frefonte-site-internet-checklist%2F)[](https://wa.me/?text=Website%20redesign%3A%20the%20checklist%20to%20preserve%20your%20SEO%20https%3A%2F%2Fweb-consulting.fr%2Fguides%2Frefonte-site-internet-checklist%2F)[](mailto:?subject=Website%20redesign%3A%20the%20checklist%20to%20preserve%20your%20SEO&body=https%3A%2F%2Fweb-consulting.fr%2Fguides%2Frefonte-site-internet-checklist%2F) In this guide - [Before the redesign](#avant) - [During the redesign](#pendant) - [After launch](#apres) Related service [Our website redesign service](/expertises/refonte-site-internet/) Read next - [How much does a website cost in 2026?](/en/guides/combien-coute-creation-site-internet-2026/) - [The complete SEO audit checklist for 2026](/en/guides/audit-seo-checklist-2026/) [ ![Benjamin M., founder of WebConsulting](/img/logo.webp) ](/en/fondateur/) [ Benjamin M. ](/en/fondateur/) Independent web developer and SEO/GEO consultant based in Dijon, active worldwide. Founder of **WebConsulting**. Specialized in **Astro**, **technical SEO** and **AI search optimization**. SIRET 791 747 389 00025. [Learn more](/en/a-propos/) [LinkedIn →](https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-m/) Read next [How much does a website cost in 2026?](/en/guides/combien-coute-creation-site-internet-2026/) [The complete SEO audit checklist for 2026](/en/guides/audit-seo-checklist-2026/)