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Site Redesign - Changing from an HTML Desktop+Mobile version to WordPress

by Brrainstormerr
4 replies
  • SEO
    • |
Hi guys,

Need some help/suggestion with this.

I have an HTML based website with different desktop and mobile versions (domain.com and m.domain.com).

I have gotten a new redesign done and making the move to a WordPresss based responsive website. My existing website ranks well for a number of keywords and has a lot of content pages indexed.

Can someone point out things to watch out for, or check-list of some sort as I migrate my old site to the new one. I am aware of the 301 redirects and so on, but would appreciate any help on things to watch out for, or things I might overlook that might cause me to lose some of my rankings.

Thanks!
#changing #desktop #html #mobile #redesign #site #version #wordpress
  • Profile picture of the author UMS
    Do you have the same URL structure for the new site?

    Do you rely on lots of images? If so, are you changing their location and name?
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    • Profile picture of the author paulgl
      Why would you want to ditch that and go to wordpress?
      That's downgrading, not upgrading.

      Wordpress still spits out html, but I assume you mean hand-built
      or something.

      I would leave a hand built site any day over wordpress.

      No matter what anyone says, you are basically starting over.

      301 is a nonissue, although lots will pile on with that.

      You are changing the entire structure of your site.

      I don't know what "responsive" has to do with wordpress.

      If you really want to start over, then just start over. Leave the
      entire site in place.

      There are too many intangibles and unforeseen consequences of
      what you propose to do, IF you hope to keep your same rank.

      Before some pile on about more nonsense about 301. 301 has
      nothing to do with ranking, in the true sense of the use.

      Look at it this way. (Most people don't) You have a page on this and that.
      You 301 it to a new page on that and this. You ranked for this and that
      before. You aint gonna rank for this and that now, most likely. Google no
      longer crawls the old page. They now (should) crawl the new page.

      People forget that an 301 themselves into oblivion, as they have no concept
      as to what a 301 was actually designed to do.

      Paul
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      If you were disappointed in your results today, lower your standards tomorrow.

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      • Profile picture of the author iAmNameLess
        Originally Posted by paulgl View Post

        Why would you want to ditch that and go to wordpress?
        That's downgrading, not upgrading.

        Wordpress still spits out html, but I assume you mean hand-built
        or something.

        I would leave a hand built site any day over wordpress.

        No matter what anyone says, you are basically starting over.

        301 is a nonissue, although lots will pile on with that.

        You are changing the entire structure of your site.

        I don't know what "responsive" has to do with wordpress.

        If you really want to start over, then just start over. Leave the
        entire site in place.

        There are too many intangibles and unforeseen consequences of
        what you propose to do, IF you hope to keep your same rank.

        Before some pile on about more nonsense about 301. 301 has
        nothing to do with ranking, in the true sense of the use.

        Look at it this way. (Most people don't) You have a page on this and that.
        You 301 it to a new page on that and this. You ranked for this and that
        before. You aint gonna rank for this and that now, most likely. Google no
        longer crawls the old page. They now (should) crawl the new page.

        People forget that an 301 themselves into oblivion, as they have no concept
        as to what a 301 was actually designed to do.

        Paul
        Well when we ever redesign a site that is actually ranking well, I try to keep the exact url structure it had before. If there's a reason why we're not keeping the exact same structure, I 301 the old pages to the most relevant new page for user experience purposes and also to sculpt PR.

        In my opinion, 301 should be one of the last things you think about in a redesign or migration.

        I agree with what you're saying though, there are so many other things to consider that could drop your rank like different on page optimization, slower load speed, etc. Also, and maybe most importantly, your conversion rate could be considerably lower and you won't know it until everything is finished.
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      • Profile picture of the author SEO Power
        Originally Posted by paulgl View Post

        You ranked for this and that before. You aint gonna rank for this and that now, most likely. Google no longer crawls the old page. They now (should) crawl the new page.

        People forget that an 301 themselves into oblivion, as they have no concept as to what a 301 was actually designed to do.
        Doesn't make sense to me. Are you insinuating that 301 redirects don't transfer link juice?
        Signature
        ONE HOUR INDEXING - STOP WASTING MONEY ON LINKS GOOGLE NEVER FINDS
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