Wim, CopandiWhy traffic drops after a new site
Traffic almost always drops after a new site for technical reasons, not because of the design. Google can't find the old pages any more, or can't tell the new ones apart.
Three causes come up every time:
- 404s. An old URL leads to an error page. Google drops that page, and every link to it loses its value.
- Missing redirects. The page still exists, but at a new address. Without a redirect, Google doesn't know.
- The same meta title everywhere. Every page has the same name in Google. Google then can't tell which page fits which search.
A property website has it harder than an ordinary site. You have hundreds of property pages, and they come and go. Properties get sold or let. And your estate agency CRM often decides what the address of a property page looks like.
Before you switch: what to record
If you move your website and want to keep your SEO, first record what you have. What you don't measure, you can't compare afterwards.
Sort out four things beforehand:
- A list of all your old URLs. Pages, property pages, blog posts, documents. Google recommends mapping every old URL to its new equivalent.
- Access to Search Console and analytics. Make sure your agency owns both accounts, not just your previous web builder.
- Your domain name. Find out who it's registered with and who can change the settings.
- A baseline. Note your visitors, your main keywords and your number of enquiries per month.
That baseline seems unnecessary. But it's the only way to show after the switch whether everything went well.
Redirects for properties, sold properties and old pages
Every old URL gets a permanent redirect to the page that fits best. Google recommends server-side permanent redirects (301 or 308), straight to the final destination, with no detours.
For a property website, that means three kinds of redirects:
| Old page | Where it goes |
|---|---|
| Property page of a property still for sale or to let | The new page of the same property. |
| Property page of a sold or let property | The new page of that property if it still exists, otherwise a page with similar listings, such as "apartment for sale in Hasselt". |
| Ordinary pages and blog posts | The new version of that page. |
Don't send everything to your homepage. Google explicitly says not to send many old URLs to one page that has nothing to do with them. If there's really no suitable page, the old URL returns a 404 or 410.
Your CRM helps with property pages. The property reference is often part of the old address. With that reference, you match old to new for hundreds of properties at once, instead of one by one.
Keep your redirects for a long time. Google recommends as long as possible, generally at least a year.
Domain name, Search Console and analytics
Keep your domain name if you can. Most links to your site then keep working, and the switch is simpler.
If a third party holds your domain name, you need access to change the settings. Sort that out well before going live. It's often the step that takes longest.
In Search Console, you do three things:
- Verify all variants. Google recommends verifying all variants of the old and the new site.
- Submit a new sitemap with the new URLs.
- Only use the Change of Address tool for a new domain. You only need that tool if you move to a different domain or subdomain.
Update your internal links to the new URLs too. Every new page gets a canonical tag that points to itself. If you run ads, send them to the new pages.
The schedule: 2 to 4 weeks on Habbi
A website on Habbi goes live within 2 to 4 weeks. During that time, the build and the preparation for the switch run side by side.
Roughly, it looks like this:
- Intake and inventory. Together, we build the context for your site and collect your old URLs, your access details and your baseline.
- Build and integration. Your site gets its own design and is connected to your estate agency CRM. Properties and estate agents sync automatically.
- Redirects and checks. We set up the redirects and test them before going live.
- Going live. The domain name is switched over, the sitemap is submitted, and the follow-up starts.
Switching is partly included. A large content migration is not. On All-in, migration is included with an annual contract.
The first weeks after going live
After going live, keep a close eye on Search Console. Google itself says to expect temporary fluctuations in your rankings.
Look mainly at three things:
- Indexing. The number of indexed old pages falls, the number of new ones rises.
- Errors. If unexpected 404s appear, add the missing redirect.
- Search queries. Your new URLs get impressions and clicks.
A warning about old URLs in your sitemap that redirect is normal. Google says so itself. For a small to medium-sized site, it takes a few weeks for most pages to move. Then compare with your baseline.
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