during website design and development: Key considerations

There are many moving parts when building a website, or switching platforms. Setting up the site for success on search engines is a crucial step.

Some brands, however, make a costly error after launching their new website – they fail to implement a SEO ongoing strategy.

It is a common myth that “we integrated SEO into our website during development so we don’t require an ongoing program”.

The assumption is that the initial setup will be sufficient and they will rely on a content or social media manager to take care of the rest. This approach is like a brand new lawn.

It may initially look good, but it will lose its appeal if you don’t maintain it regularly. This includes mowing the lawn and fertilizing it. If your competitor (i.e. neighbor) takes care of their lawn, it’ll look even better.

This article explains some of the key steps that need to be taken during the development phase (or replatforming) and why SEO needs to continue.

SEO during website development/redesign

Before building or redesigning a website make sure that you have SEO basics in place.

Prioritize the following steps.

The site structure

During the project phase, make sure that the architecture aligns with the business strategy.

If you are selling “jeans”, but your marketing director would prefer to call them “denim”, then discuss the issue and make a decision based on keyword analysis.

It’s not possible to highlight every aspect of your business in the top navigation. Therefore, it is crucial that you have a data-driven and strategic conversation about the most important aspects.

Use this discussion as a guide to other elements such as URL Structure and Taxonomy.

Best practices for technical excellence

Ensure that your content is easily accessible to search engines during this phase. It involves redirects, 404 page, and canonical tag implementation.

If you ignore these factors, it can lead to search engine blocks or traffic gaps that are significant when large pages have not been redirected.

Content migration and creation

This step involves ensuring that you have the right content for your new website. Plan for existing content that you wish to retain when redesigning your site.

To organize all of this, create a map that shows the content and URLs. Inbound links should also be checked to make sure they are relevant and lead to the right location.

Even in an AI-driven universe, content is still important.

Continued SEO Activities

Content that is relevant and fresh

You need to keep your site current and relevant. Write new blogs, and create evergreen content to reflect your current customer demands.

It could be as easy as updating an FAQ page as new questions come up. For success, it is important to create content that is relevant and consumer-focused.

Cleaning up your home or office is easy with this technique

Even if your website is updated regularly, it can still have problems.

You can identify changes that need to be cleaned up by conducting a monthly or quarterly site audit.

Promotions Offsite

Don’t ignore the importance of how other people view your website.

Your inbound links, and the quality of your links are often the best indicators. Link profiles are constantly changing, and you should work on them consistently to maximize your offsite promotion.

After launch, don’t stop SEO efforts

If your website is stable and has a high ranking, then you might not need to worry about SEO. This is a surefire method to lose out in the market.

Even if you keep your business the same, there are always changes in the environment.

Your competitors are always trying to surpass you.

Search engines are constantly evolving, adding new features and algorithms to provide accurate results.

It is particularly relevant in light of the recent introduction and testing generative AI, which has not been accompanied by clear expectations about its impact.

It is best to test these changes and understand how they affect your business. You will be at a competitive disadvantage if you slow down between redesigns or launches.

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