- June 1, 2023
- by S M Shakil Ahmed
- Shopify, Store
- 0 Comments
Avoid the negative effects that come from changing your store’s brand name, domain, links, or content.
A few years back, I received a call from an established store that had recently undergone a rebranding and was facing a significant decline in their website traffic. It was a nightmare scenario for any store owner, as their rankings plummeted and they went from being well-positioned for product keywords and search terms to only appearing when searching for their new brand name. This sudden drop in traffic was devastating for them, and they urgently sought the expertise of an SEO consultant to uncover the reasons behind it and find solutions to regain their lost traffic. They even contemplated undoing the rebranding and migration, but that would have posed additional challenges. Through a referral from Kurt at Ethercycle.com, we connected and embarked on a Search Engine Optimization Audit project to investigate the root causes of their traffic and ranking decline, as well as develop a strategic plan to address the situation.
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The Risk In Rebrands and Migrations
Changing domain names and restructuring website links can significantly impact your ability to achieve high rankings for product keywords and generic search terms. It’s a major undertaking, akin to a heart transplant for your store. To ensure a successful transition, it’s crucial to have a well-thought-out plan in place and be prepared for the potential challenges that may arise before, during, and after the migration. This will help minimize the negative impact on your traffic and rankings.
Thinking ‘Bout Links
When you change your domain name, it is crucial to take into account the links that previously directed to your old domain but are no longer directing to your new store.
In the case of the Ecommerce store that experienced a decline in traffic after a rebrand, we found that all the valuable links they had worked hard to earn over the years through relationships, blogger reviews, press coverage, and diligent efforts were still pointing to their old site rather than the new one.
Essentially, they had to begin building their link profile anew, as they were starting from scratch in terms of link building.
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Site Age Is A Real Thing
When you undergo a rebrand and migration, it’s important to take into account that Google considers the age of a site as one of the factors when ranking websites. A site that has been established for a longer period, such as three years, tends to receive a higher score in this aspect compared to a site that has only been around for a few months.
Once you make the switch and migrate to a new store on a new domain, Google perceives it as an entirely new site with fresh content. Consequently, it takes additional time for the new site to gain ranking traction. It’s crucial to allow sufficient time for your site to “age” in order to improve its ranking performance.
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The Real Cost of Redirecting Pages
During a migration, it is highly recommended to implement 301 redirects to ensure that all your old pages, including products, pages, and posts, are redirected to their corresponding counterparts on the new site. However, even when you follow this best practice, it’s important to understand that some of the value from the links pointing to your old site will inevitably be lost.
It’s worth noting that Google doesn’t immediately start ranking the new site as soon as it is discovered (as it takes time for the site to be crawled and evaluated for ranking). Therefore, it will also take time for the redirected links to contribute to the ranking of your new site. Patience is required in allowing the redirected links to positively impact your site’s ranking over time.
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Consider… Content
In order for the previous information to hold true, it is assumed that the content on the new pages of the new site matches the content of the old pages on the old site. This means that, apart from the URLs, all other elements of the site remain exactly the same, including page titles, content, images, and everything else.
However, when you undergo a rebranding process on your site, it is likely that you will be changing not only the URLs but also the page titles, content, images, and internal links. Essentially, everything may be subject to modification.
All of these changes can have their own impact on your rankings and traffic. Depending on how you link to products and pages within the navigation, footer, or page content, you may experience additional changes.
A rebranding effort often influences the content, and this can have significant implications for your ability to rank effectively. It’s important to consider how these alterations can affect your site’s visibility and search engine rankings.
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Minimizing The Risks of a Rebrand
Making changes to your domain name will have an impact on both your rankings and traffic. Additionally, redirecting the links from your old site to the new site will also affect your ability to rank effectively. Furthermore, modifying your copy and link structure will also influence your rankings.
These changes can have various implications for your traffic and rankings. In the case of the client mentioned, we identified 17 significant changes that needed to be made to minimize the negative effects of their rebrand. As a result of implementing these changes, their traffic gradually improved. Within a month, their traffic reached 50% of their previous levels, and over the next three months, it continued to increase. After four months of working together, their daily traffic surpassed their previous peak.
However, if they had not taken any action, their SEO progress would have been reset, similar to starting from scratch on day one. It highlights the importance of actively addressing the SEO impact of rebranding and making necessary adjustments to maintain and improve search visibility.
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How To Avoid The Negative SEO Effects of Rebranding Your Store
To effectively manage the impact of a rebrand or migration, it is crucial to proactively develop an action plan that includes making necessary changes. By having a well-thought-out SEO Migration Plan, you can minimize the adverse effects on your rankings and organic traffic, although there may still be a temporary decline lasting 1-3 months.
Whether you are transitioning your store, altering your domain name, changing your store name, or modifying your content, having a solid SEO Plan is of utmost importance. This plan will help you navigate the process smoothly and mitigate the negative impact on your website’s visibility and search rankings.
