Why Website Relaunches Go Wrong
A website relaunch is one of the riskiest moments in digital marketing. Without careful planning, organic rankings can collapse overnight — and it takes months to recover them. The most common mistakes: changing URL structures without redirects, not checking indexation of new pages, losing or shortening content, and forgetting technical SEO fundamentals.
At DLM Digital, we accompany website relaunches with a structured checklist that ensures no traffic is lost — ideally, it increases immediately after the relaunch.
Before the Relaunch: Preparation
1. Document current rankings: Export all rankings from Google Search Console — clicks, impressions, average positions. This is your benchmark.
2. Create URL mapping: Every old URL must be mapped to a new URL. No old URL should lead to a dead end (404). Create a complete redirect table.
3. Content audit: Which content performs well? That must not be lost. Which content is outdated? That can be consolidated or updated.
4. Backlink analysis: Which pages do external websites link to? These URLs must be correctly redirected — otherwise you lose your link authority.
5. Lighthouse score of the old website: The new score must be better — not worse. Set target values: 90+ in all categories.
During the Relaunch: Implementation
6. Implement 301 redirects: Redirect every old URL with a 301 redirect to the correct new URL. No 302 redirects (temporary), no redirect chains (A→B→C). Direct 301 redirects: A→C.
7. Check technical SEO: Robots.txt correct? No accidental noindex tags? XML sitemap updated? Canonical tags correct? HTTPS on all pages? Mobile-friendly? Core Web Vitals optimised?
8. Transfer structured data: All schema markups (LocalBusiness, Article, FAQ, Breadcrumb) must be correctly implemented on the new website.
9. Check internal linking: No broken links? All internal links point to the new URLs (not to old URLs that then get redirected)?
10. Update Google Business Profile: If the website URL changes, the Google Business Profile must be updated immediately.
After the Relaunch: Monitoring
11. Google Search Console: Submit new sitemap. URL inspection for the most important pages. Monitor indexation status. Check Core Web Vitals.
12. 404 monitoring: Check for 404 errors daily during the first 4 weeks. Fix every discovered 404 immediately with a 301 redirect.
13. Monitor rankings: Compare rankings weekly with the benchmark. A slight decline in the first week is normal — it should recover within 2–4 weeks.
14. Analyse traffic: Monitor organic traffic in GA4. Compare with the same period last year. With a well-executed relaunch, traffic should be at or above the old level after 4–6 weeks.
A website relaunch doesn't have to be a disaster. With careful planning and our checklist, it becomes a springboard for better performance and more traffic. DLM Digital accompanies your relaunch — from planning to post-launch optimisation.
