The short answer
Website redesign services that protect your rankings. SEO-safe migration with URL mapping, 301 redirects, content parity and post-launch monitoring. Brisbane.
Signs you need a redesign
You probably need a redesign if:
- The site looks dated or doesn't work well on phones
- Enquiries have dropped even though traffic hasn't
- Pages are slow and fail Core Web Vitals
- You can't update content without calling a developer
- Your platform or PHP version is no longer supported
It's also a chance to fix structure, so search engines and AI answer tools can understand what you do.
Website migration SEO: our process
Website migration covers any move that changes URLs, domains, platforms or site structure. We follow the same documented process every time, based on Google Search Central guidance.
1. Crawl and benchmark
Before touching anything, we crawl the current site to record every URL, title, meta description, heading and internal link. We export traffic and rankings from Google Search Console and GA4, and note your top pages and backlinks. This benchmark shows what must be protected.
2. URL mapping
Every old URL gets matched to its closest new equivalent in a spreadsheet. Pages with traffic or backlinks get a one-to-one match. We avoid sending everything to the homepage, because Google tends to treat those redirects like dead ends.
3. 301 redirects
The map becomes permanent 301 redirects, set up on the server or in your platform's redirect manager. We test them on staging and again after launch, checking for chains and loops.
4. Content parity
If a page ranks well, its useful content needs to survive the redesign. We carry over headings, copy, FAQs and internal links, then improve them. Thin new pages are a fast way to lose positions.
5. Schema and technical checks
We rebuild structured data (Schema.org) for your business, services, products and FAQs. We also check canonical tags, robots.txt, noindex settings and page speed before launch.
6. Sitemap submission
On launch day, we submit the new XML sitemap in Google Search Console. For a domain change, we use the Change of Address tool as well.
7. Post-launch monitoring
For the following weeks, we watch Search Console for crawl errors, 404s and indexing drops. We compare traffic and rankings against the benchmark and fix problems quickly. Some movement after a migration is normal, and we'll keep you informed as things settle.
Fun fact
The world's first website, info.cern.ch from 1991, is still online. CERN restored it so people can see how the web began.
Platform migrations
Our team handles moves between most common platforms, all in-house:
- Wix or Squarespace to WordPress
- WooCommerce or OpenCart to Shopify
- WordPress to Webflow
- Custom PHP sites to a modern CMS
Each platform formats URLs differently. Shopify, for example, puts products under /products/, so a careful redirect map matters even more. We also move hosting and email when needed, using our own Australian cPanel/WHM server.
Common migration mistakes that cause traffic drops
- Launching without redirects, leaving old URLs as 404s
- Leaving the staging "noindex" setting switched on
- Deleting blog posts or service pages that brought in traffic
- Changing title tags and headings across the whole site at once
- Forgetting to update internal links and Google Business Profile links
Marketing tip
Before you brief any designer, open Google Search Console, go to Performance and export the top 50 pages by clicks from the last 12 months. Share that list and make it clear those pages must be kept or redirected.
How we work
- Audit. An SEO audit of the current site plus a content and design review.
- Plan. Sitemap, URL map and platform choice.
- Design and build. On a staging site you can review.
- Migrate and launch. Redirects, schema and sitemap submission.
- Monitor. Weekly checks against the benchmark after launch.
Why work with us
- 15 years across web design, SEO and custom software
- An in-house team at AR Digital Solutions, nothing outsourced
- Shopify Partner, with hands-on experience on WordPress, Webflow, OpenCart and custom PHP
- SEO and design handled by the same people, so nothing falls through the gap
- More than 800 websites built, and rated 4.8 stars from 86 Google reviews
Akal Builders: a Brisbane builder’s 60-page site was rebuilt and migrated with 112 redirects mapped. Organic traffic was back to pre-launch levels within 3 weeks and up 27% after 3 months (Google Search Console, April to July 2026).
“We were nervous about losing our Google rankings with a new site. The migration was planned page by page and our enquiries didn’t dip.”
We can't promise rankings, but we can promise a careful process. Run a building company? See our construction websites page.