How to change the structure of the site without losing positions?
If you need to do something with the site launched in the early 2000s, a prehistoric reptile of the FrontPage period, the first reaction of a normal perfectionist would be:
But now the server is already doused with digital gasoline, and the digital match is ready to start the process of disinfecting hard drives, and the responsible person comes up with the thought: “What about the flow of the target audience? How do the purchased links, achieved positions in the search results? .. ”Of course, it is necessary to think about it when reworking / upgrading, and when the site is completely restarted.
In fact, when redesigning in most cases, there is no point in changing the URL structure - let it remain old, surrounded by an array of indexed incoming links. Changing the design, layout, content, technical parameters of the pages while maintaining the theme will, in general, even a positive factor for SEO. Especially if you comply with all the requirements of internal optimization and improve what was previously.
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So, rule number 1: Do not change the URLs just because I really want to start from scratch.
If the business of the site owner has undergone significant changes, the structure will have to be adjusted to the new requirements. Again, usually most of the URL may well remain. But some pages will disappear and be partially replaced by new ones.
Rule number 2: You can safely delete pages or change URLs if there are no external links to them.
Rule number 3: If there are external links, but the pages do not have good positions in the TOP of the search results, you can also delete these pages or change their URLs. If you have control over external links, you can redirect them to new pages.
The above are the most pleasant from the point of view of the developer of a new version of the site situation - all of them, in general, do not require any additional gestures. But if the site owner declares that it is necessary to maintain positions in the issue, and serious money is spent on links, you will have to pay attention to the URL structure and redirect the links.
All pages that need to be removed or changed URLs should be checked for:
The most reliable option - analysis using the established system of statistics. All of them (Google Analytics, Yandex.Metrica, LiveInternet) show visitors who came from search engines, including their queries and the pages on which they got. If the page has visitors from search engines for convertible sales requests, you need to do it carefully and respectfully. This traffic needs all the forces to try to save and then multiply. It is the counter that gives the most adequate information: even if the page has positions, but there are no targeted visitors (although this happens extremely rarely, and this problem needs to be dealt with separately), you can safely carry out any manipulations. The second way is to check the positions by keywords (if you managed to get them from the site owner). You need to use a service like webmasters.ru/tools/serppos , enter a list of keywords and URL of the analyzed page. You can also spend 3 minutes and start a project in SeoPult - if you enter keywords, the system will not only show the positions, but also tell you which pages are close to the TOP (in the future they can be quickly and successfully promoted).
It is best to take from the site owner access to the account on the service with which the reference mass was created. Most often this gives full control over the links, since even if there are some additional links, their number is insignificant compared to the number purchased through such a service (for example, SeoPult). But in the case of old sites, things can be more complicated: the owner could not use the exchanges and automated promotion systems, and negotiated with webmasters directly - that is, access to changes to the URLs can be very difficult, and in any case is not automated. This is a difficult situation that must be addressed in each case individually. It should be remembered about the previous paragraph - if there is no traffic, there is no need to take care of reconfiguring the reference mass. And if there is traffic, then usually there is access to working with external links. However, it would not be superfluous to try to find all backlinks — for this you can use Yandex.Webmaster (Website Indexing / Incoming Links), Google Webmaster Tools or specialized SEO services like ahrefs.com or solomono.ru .
If the site owner stopped selling particle accelerators and switched to trading in Universe moderators, the corresponding page should be removed. Visitors interested in small garden colliders are no longer targeted. Therefore it is necessary: ​​a) to delete the page about accelerators; b) create a page about moderators with a new URL; c) if there is control over the links to the old page, rearrange them to a new one - but with the replacement of anchors, that is, the referring text. You can redirect these old links to other pages - for example, some of the old, but not deleted when upgrading the site (again, in most cases you will have to change the anchor). In a few minutes, this can be done only if the reference mass is typed using the exchange or automated promotion system. Otherwise, you will have to write off with each webmaster of the site with a more or less valuable link.
Although we have already written that changing the URL of a page that has links and positions is not worth it unless absolutely necessary, sometimes it is still desirable. For example, when addresses are not SEF (SEO-friendly) and CNC (comprehensible). That is, for a page selling refrigerators, the URL / refrigerators or / holodilniki would be ideal, but not /? = 398tfdsdlll12 or something like that.
If the page has no positions, and there is control over backlinks, you can safely change the URL and link addresses. Otherwise, it would be better to include a redirect with the code 301 (moved forever), and then gradually - in order not to lose the position - to transfer incoming links from the old URL to the new one. Reference weight is transmitted via redirect, but direct links are still better. If the positions are very good, gradualness should be very gradual, since one of the most important factors of link quality is its age. Although it should be noted that changing the backlink address within the same domain is less significant.
Similar to p. 2, but with the obligatory replacement of backlink anchors. New anchors should include keywords that match the content and meaning of the new page. At the same time, it is obvious that there will be no preservation of positions in the search results; in the best case, there will be a “good attitude” and the conclusion on new keywords will be faster.
Not Habr users need to learn how to work with CMS and web servers, but if redirects are new to you, we recommend reading the article from the SeoPult mailing and the article by Sergey Koksharov .
If you have control over the incoming link mass, you can easily change the structure of the site without abrupt loss of positions. If there is no control, then losses are inevitable, so it will be necessary to connect additional channels to attract traffic (contextual advertising) while the updated site does not restore lost positions.
But now the server is already doused with digital gasoline, and the digital match is ready to start the process of disinfecting hard drives, and the responsible person comes up with the thought: “What about the flow of the target audience? How do the purchased links, achieved positions in the search results? .. ”Of course, it is necessary to think about it when reworking / upgrading, and when the site is completely restarted.
In fact, when redesigning in most cases, there is no point in changing the URL structure - let it remain old, surrounded by an array of indexed incoming links. Changing the design, layout, content, technical parameters of the pages while maintaining the theme will, in general, even a positive factor for SEO. Especially if you comply with all the requirements of internal optimization and improve what was previously.
')
So, rule number 1: Do not change the URLs just because I really want to start from scratch.
If the business of the site owner has undergone significant changes, the structure will have to be adjusted to the new requirements. Again, usually most of the URL may well remain. But some pages will disappear and be partially replaced by new ones.
Rule number 2: You can safely delete pages or change URLs if there are no external links to them.
Rule number 3: If there are external links, but the pages do not have good positions in the TOP of the search results, you can also delete these pages or change their URLs. If you have control over external links, you can redirect them to new pages.
The above are the most pleasant from the point of view of the developer of a new version of the site situation - all of them, in general, do not require any additional gestures. But if the site owner declares that it is necessary to maintain positions in the issue, and serious money is spent on links, you will have to pay attention to the URL structure and redirect the links.
Training
All pages that need to be removed or changed URLs should be checked for:
1. Availability of positions.
The most reliable option - analysis using the established system of statistics. All of them (Google Analytics, Yandex.Metrica, LiveInternet) show visitors who came from search engines, including their queries and the pages on which they got. If the page has visitors from search engines for convertible sales requests, you need to do it carefully and respectfully. This traffic needs all the forces to try to save and then multiply. It is the counter that gives the most adequate information: even if the page has positions, but there are no targeted visitors (although this happens extremely rarely, and this problem needs to be dealt with separately), you can safely carry out any manipulations. The second way is to check the positions by keywords (if you managed to get them from the site owner). You need to use a service like webmasters.ru/tools/serppos , enter a list of keywords and URL of the analyzed page. You can also spend 3 minutes and start a project in SeoPult - if you enter keywords, the system will not only show the positions, but also tell you which pages are close to the TOP (in the future they can be quickly and successfully promoted).
2. The presence of valuable incoming links.
It is best to take from the site owner access to the account on the service with which the reference mass was created. Most often this gives full control over the links, since even if there are some additional links, their number is insignificant compared to the number purchased through such a service (for example, SeoPult). But in the case of old sites, things can be more complicated: the owner could not use the exchanges and automated promotion systems, and negotiated with webmasters directly - that is, access to changes to the URLs can be very difficult, and in any case is not automated. This is a difficult situation that must be addressed in each case individually. It should be remembered about the previous paragraph - if there is no traffic, there is no need to take care of reconfiguring the reference mass. And if there is traffic, then usually there is access to working with external links. However, it would not be superfluous to try to find all backlinks — for this you can use Yandex.Webmaster (Website Indexing / Incoming Links), Google Webmaster Tools or specialized SEO services like ahrefs.com or solomono.ru .
Changing URLs and redirects
1. Delete pages without creating analogues.
If the site owner stopped selling particle accelerators and switched to trading in Universe moderators, the corresponding page should be removed. Visitors interested in small garden colliders are no longer targeted. Therefore it is necessary: ​​a) to delete the page about accelerators; b) create a page about moderators with a new URL; c) if there is control over the links to the old page, rearrange them to a new one - but with the replacement of anchors, that is, the referring text. You can redirect these old links to other pages - for example, some of the old, but not deleted when upgrading the site (again, in most cases you will have to change the anchor). In a few minutes, this can be done only if the reference mass is typed using the exchange or automated promotion system. Otherwise, you will have to write off with each webmaster of the site with a more or less valuable link.
2. Changing the URL without changing the subject.
Although we have already written that changing the URL of a page that has links and positions is not worth it unless absolutely necessary, sometimes it is still desirable. For example, when addresses are not SEF (SEO-friendly) and CNC (comprehensible). That is, for a page selling refrigerators, the URL / refrigerators or / holodilniki would be ideal, but not /? = 398tfdsdlll12 or something like that.
If the page has no positions, and there is control over backlinks, you can safely change the URL and link addresses. Otherwise, it would be better to include a redirect with the code 301 (moved forever), and then gradually - in order not to lose the position - to transfer incoming links from the old URL to the new one. Reference weight is transmitted via redirect, but direct links are still better. If the positions are very good, gradualness should be very gradual, since one of the most important factors of link quality is its age. Although it should be noted that changing the backlink address within the same domain is less significant.
3. Changing the URL to change the subject.
Similar to p. 2, but with the obligatory replacement of backlink anchors. New anchors should include keywords that match the content and meaning of the new page. At the same time, it is obvious that there will be no preservation of positions in the search results; in the best case, there will be a “good attitude” and the conclusion on new keywords will be faster.
4. Setting up redirects.
Not Habr users need to learn how to work with CMS and web servers, but if redirects are new to you, we recommend reading the article from the SeoPult mailing and the article by Sergey Koksharov .
Conclusion
If you have control over the incoming link mass, you can easily change the structure of the site without abrupt loss of positions. If there is no control, then losses are inevitable, so it will be necessary to connect additional channels to attract traffic (contextual advertising) while the updated site does not restore lost positions.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/170915/
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