How do I rebuild my website without losing Google rankings?

On this page

1. First, name the move you are making
2. Before launch: map every old address
3. Launch day: permanent redirects
4. After launch: what to expect and watch
5. Questions to ask whoever builds it
6. How we can help
7. Questions people ask
8. Sources

A new design that keeps every page address does not change any URLs, but Google says any significant change can make rankings fluctuate while it recrawls. New addresses, a new domain or a move to https make it a site move, and Google handles a site move address by address: it counts the move complete only once Googlebot has visited every URL on the old and new site at least once. If you are still pricing the rebuild, start with what a website costs in India.

First, name the move you are making

Google's advice is to change one thing at a time: a new domain first, then the new layout, not both at once. Its Change of Address help adds that if you combine a move with a redesign of the site's content and URL structure, you will probably see some traffic loss, as Google might need to relearn the pages.

Before launch: map every old address

Google's site move guide has you list your old addresses and map each one to a new one. To find the important ones, it suggests your sitemaps, the pages that get the most traffic in your analytics or server logs, and the Links to your site feature in Search Console.

• Include images and PDFs. They may already get traffic from Google or links.
• Give each old address a real new home. Do not send many old pages to one unrelated page such as the home page. It can confuse visitors, and Google might treat it as a soft 404 error.
• Let removed pages fail honestly. Content you are not bringing across should return a 404 or 410 error.
• Update the new pages. Each should have a canonical tag pointing to itself, and internal links should use the new addresses.
• Keep Search Console working. Verify both sites, and carry over your verification file or tag.
• Plan to lift test blocks. If the new site blocks crawling or uses noindex during development, list what must change on launch day.

Launch day: permanent redirects

Google recommends server-side permanent redirects, 301 or 308, from each old address to its new one. A permanent redirect tells Google to show the new address in results, while a temporary one (302, 303 or 307) keeps the old address showing. Use JavaScript redirects only if neither server-side nor meta refresh redirects are possible: if rendering fails, Google might never see them.

• Move it all at once. For small or medium sites, Google recommends moving all URLs at the same time instead of one section at a time.
• Redirect straight to the final page. Googlebot can follow up to 10 hops in a chain, but Google advises going direct, and if not, ideally no more than 3.
• Lift the blocks you planned for, and check that canonical tags use the new addresses.
• Test the redirects with the URL Inspection tool, or a script for many addresses.
• Submit the new sitemap in Search Console.
• Changing domain? Submit a Change of Address for every verified variant of the old domain, including www and non-www.

After launch: what to expect and watch

Google says not to worry about link credit: 301 and other permanent redirects don't cause a loss in PageRank. Rankings may still move while it recrawls. Google calls that normal: a small or medium site can take a few weeks for most pages to move, and larger sites take longer.

• Keep the redirects for as long as possible, generally at least a year.
• Watch Search Console. Indexing on the old sitemap should fall towards zero as the new one rises. Warnings that the old sitemap's URLs redirect are normal, and Google says you can ignore them. Google often sees redirects that point to wrong, non-existent pages; an unusually high number of "Not found" errors is the sign.
• Update links: change your own social profiles and ad campaigns, and ask the sites that send you the most visits to update theirs.

Questions to ask whoever builds it

These are ours, not Google's:

1. Where is the list of old addresses, and can we see where each one goes?
2. Are the redirects permanent and server-side?
3. What happens to pages we are dropping?
4. Who checks Search Console in the weeks after launch?

The wider checks on who builds it and who owns it are in how to choose a web or app development company.

How we can help

• Brand sites, portals and online stores, built from your design or ours, with content your team can edit. Before launch we check speed and accessibility, then hand over hosting, deploys and docs. Websites and e-commerce.
• Google Search Console ownership, sitemap submission and index coverage, Google Analytics measurement, and ongoing reporting on search queries, landing pages and index coverage. SEO and analytics.

Questions people ask

Sources

1. Google Search Central: Site moves with URL changesChecked 27 October 2026
2. Google Search Central: Redirects and Google SearchChecked 27 October 2026
3. Google Search Console Help: Change of Address toolChecked 27 October 2026
4. Google Search Central: Changing your hostingChecked 27 October 2026

Other companies change their prices and fees. Check the source before you rely on a figure.

Read next

• How much does a website cost in India?
• How do I choose a web or app development company?