While redesigning your website can be an exciting time, it’s important to get it right the first time—or risk hurting your search engine optimization (SEO) in the process. After all, one of the biggest goals of redesigning your site is to attract more visitors through higher rankings on Google and other search engines, but if you take shortcuts in this process, you might just see the opposite effect occur. The Best SEO Agency Toronto knows the importance of a well-designed website. Not only does it need to look good, but it also needs to be easy to use and navigate. However, even the most experienced web designer can make mistakes that can hurt a site's search engine optimization (SEO).
Just because you've put all your content into a CMS doesn't mean you're in the clear. Duplicate content—or instances where multiple pages of your site have slightly altered content—can really hurt your search engine rankings. To avoid issues, hire an experienced Best SEO Agency Toronto to regularly audit your site and make sure that everything is unique and working as it should. (You can also do it yourself with services like Copyscape.) As Google's algorithm continues to get smarter, duplicate or spammy content will become more of a threat to sites' success in search results; so it's crucial that you stay on top of things and remove any instances of duplicate or copied material as soon as they appear.
Broken internal links can have a dramatic impact on your search ranking. If someone lands on a broken link, they’ll leave your site and you won’t be able to capture their attention or get them to make a purchase. When you redesign your website, review each of your site’s content pages, making sure that all internal links work properly. If you find any dead-ends or mistakes, correct them right away. Making sure that every link is working properly will ensure that your users can find what they need quickly and easily—and it will help make sure that every click matters when it comes to search rankings.
Many of you may have heard that Content is King when it comes to search engine optimization. This is absolutely true, but where exactly does content go? The answer to that question depends on your website layout. There are a number of best practices for good website design, especially when it comes to page elements (such as navigation, calls-to-action and widgets).
The most obvious red flag to watch out for is a 404 error page. Because Google and other search engines are smart, they'll be able to decipher that your website has moved—even if you haven't updated your metadata. The page that shows up for pages that aren't found could read: This page does not exist or just have a link back to your homepage. If you'd like more information on having us create a professional 404 error page for you, feel free to check out some of our previous blogs where we've covered some good options here and here. Or, if there's anything else we can help with in regards to your new site or redesign, please feel free to contact us! We're always happy to chat!
A 404 error page is displayed when a website visitor requests a page or file that cannot be found on your site. There are many ways to create 404 error pages, but most websites will send their visitors to a static page that explains what happened. However, make sure you don’t send them to a landing page full of advertisements for other websites. It will give off the impression that your business is not committed to providing excellent customer service and can easily damage your brand name if it happens too often.
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