My Website Was Just Built and I LOST Rankings and Leads
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New website but fewer leads? This common nightmare happens when developers ignore SEO. Here's how to fix it fast and get your traffic back.
Six months later, we're still trying to recover." - Actual client before working with us
This story plays out every single week. A business invests tens of thousands in a beautiful new website, launches it with excitement, then watches in horror as their Google rankings plummet and leads dry up.
The worst part? Most web developers and agencies don't warn you this will happen. They focus on making it "look pretty" while completely ignoring the SEO implications of their design decisions. This often happens because they lack integration between design and paid advertising strategies.
Why New Websites Lose Rankings (The Hidden Culprits)
1. URL Structure Changes
Your old website had established URLs that Google knew and trusted. When developers change your URL structure without proper redirects, you're essentially starting over in Google's eyes. All the authority and trust your old pages built up? Gone.
Example: Your old service page was /services.html and ranked #3 for "accounting services Denver." The new site uses /our-services/ but no redirect was set up. Google sees this as a completely new page with zero authority.
2. Content Removal or Modification
Developers often "clean up" content, removing what they see as unnecessary text. Unfortunately, that "unnecessary" content often contains keywords and context that helped your pages rank. Even small changes to title tags, headings, and body content can impact rankings.
3. Technical SEO Disasters
Beautiful designs can hide technical nightmares:
- Slow loading speeds due to unoptimized images and code
- Mobile responsiveness issues
- Missing or broken meta tags
- Broken internal link structure
- Missing XML sitemaps and robots.txt files
Our website design services for law firms always prioritize SEO and conversion optimization alongside visual appeal because what good is a pretty website that doesn't generate leads? We also integrate email marketing and social media marketing from day one.
Website Redesign Killed Your Rankings?
Get an emergency SEO audit and recovery plan to restore your traffic fast
The Immediate Action Plan (First 48 Hours)
If your new website just launched and you're seeing ranking drops, here's what to do immediately:
Step 1: Audit Your Redirects
Check if your old URLs properly redirect to new ones. Use tools like Screaming Frog or simply test your old URLs manually. Every important page from your old site should have a proper 301 redirect to the most relevant new page.
Step 2: Restore Critical Content
Compare your new pages to your old ones. If content was removed or significantly changed, consider restoring key elements that helped with rankings. This includes:
- Service descriptions and keyword-rich content
- Customer testimonials and case studies
- Location-specific information for local businesses
- FAQ sections and detailed product/service information
Step 3: Fix Technical Issues
Run your new site through Google PageSpeed Insights and fix any critical issues. Common problems include:
- Image optimization
- Render-blocking JavaScript and CSS
- Missing alt tags
- Broken internal links
The 30-Day Recovery Strategy
Beyond immediate fixes, you need a systematic approach to rebuild your search visibility. Here's our proven 30-day recovery plan:
Week 1: Foundation Repair
- Complete technical SEO audit for law firms and fixes
- Implement proper redirect strategy
- Restore critical content elements
- Submit updated XML sitemap to Google
Week 2-3: Content Optimization
- Optimize all page titles and meta descriptions
- Enhance content with target keywords
- Improve internal linking structure
- Add schema markup for better search visibility
Week 4: Authority Building
- Create high-quality content targeting your best keywords
- Build strategic backlinks to new pages
- Optimize for local search (if applicable)
- Monitor and adjust based on performance data
This systematic approach typically recovers 80-90% of lost rankings within 30 days, often improving beyond previous performance levels.
Need Expert Help with SEO Recovery?
Our team specializes in post-redesign SEO recovery. Get your rankings and leads back fast.
Preventing Future SEO Disasters
The best time to protect your SEO is before your next website redesign. Here's how to ensure your next website project improves rather than destroys your search visibility:
Choose SEO-Aware Developers
Not all web developers understand SEO. Before hiring anyone, ask specific questions:
- How do you handle URL redirects during a redesign?
- What's your process for preserving existing content and meta tags?
- How do you ensure the new site loads faster than the old one?
- Can you show examples of redesigns that improved SEO performance?
Plan for SEO from Day One
Our website design process for law firms - outlined in our SEO playbook - always includes:
- Pre-redesign SEO audit to identify what's working
- Content strategy that preserves and improves keyword targeting
- Technical SEO implementation throughout development
- Post-launch monitoring and optimization
Real Recovery Success Stories
We've helped dozens of businesses recover from post-redesign SEO disasters. Here are some recent examples:
Manufacturing Company
Lost 85% of organic traffic after redesign. We recovered 100% within 45 days and improved lead generation by 150% with strategic SEO optimization.
Professional Services Firm
Rankings dropped from page 1 to page 4 for their main keywords. Our recovery strategy got them back to #1-3 positions within 30 days, resulting in 200% more qualified leads.
The Cost of Waiting
Every day your website isn't performing in search results is lost revenue. If you were generating 50 leads per month from organic search and that dropped to 15 after your redesign, you're losing 35 potential customers every month you delay recovery efforts.
The longer you wait, the harder recovery becomes. Google's algorithms continue to evolve, and your competitors aren't standing still. Quick action is essential for minimizing long-term damage.
Your Next Steps
If your new website has hurt your search performance, don't panic - but don't wait either. The sooner you address the issues, the faster you can recover and start generating leads again.
Start with a comprehensive SEO audit to identify exactly what went wrong. Our team can typically spot the major issues within 24 hours and provide a clear recovery roadmap. From there, you can decide whether to handle the fixes internally or work with SEO specialists who understand post-redesign recovery.
Remember: a website redesign should improve your lead generation, not destroy it. If your new site isn't performing better than your old one, it's time to take action.
