The fix: redirect every old address to its new page
If your page addresses changed (for example `/services.html` became `/services/`), every old address needs a permanent (301) redirect to its matching new page. Without it, Google and anyone with an old link land on "page not found", and the rankings those pages earned don't carry over.
"If your page has moved, use a 301 redirect to the new location." (Search Console Help: Page indexing report)
"We recommend server side permanent redirects from the old URLs to the new URLs as you indicated in your mapping." (Google Search Central: Site moves with URL changes)
Redirect each old page to its closest match, not everything to the home page. Google lists redirecting to the wrong or non-existent URLs as a common migration mistake (Google Search Central). Keep the redirects "for as long as possible, generally at least 1 year" (same page).
Why is my website traffic dropping after the new site went live?
Check these in order.
| Cause | What happened | How to check | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| No redirects | Old URLs now return 404 | Search Console → Pages: a jump in "Not found (404)" | 301 each old URL to its new match |
| Noindex left on | The designer blocked Google while building and never removed it | URL Inspection on your home page; look at robots.txt | Remove the block |
| Pages deleted | Service or city pages that ranked were cut or merged | Compare old and new page lists | Bring the content back, or redirect to the page that now covers it |
| Wrong redirects | Old pages sent to the home page or to dead URLs | Click a few old links from Google results | Point each to its real match |
| Old sitemap | Sitemap still lists old URLs | Search Console → Sitemaps | Submit the new sitemap |
| Domain changed | New business name, new domain | Old domain still in Search Console | Redirect, then file a Change of Address |
Google's own words on the second one:
"Don't forget to remove any noindex or robots.txt blocks that were only needed for the migration." (Google Search Central: Site moves with URL changes)
A noindex tag drops traffic slowly, page by page, as Google recrawls, so it can look like a gradual decline rather than a cliff (Google Search Central: Debugging drops).
If you changed domains, Google says to "submit a Change of Address in Search Console for the old site" (Google Search Central).
How long until rankings come back?
Expect some movement for a few weeks even when everything is done right.
"Expect temporary fluctuation in site ranking during the move." (Google Search Central: Site moves with URL changes)
Google says "a small to medium-sized website can take a few weeks for most pages to move" (same page). If the drop isn't recovering after that, Google points you back to the common mistakes above (Google Search Central: Debugging drops).
Why is my website not ranking on Google at all?
If the site vanished completely, not just dropped, suspect a block, not a ranking change. Check in this order:
- Search `site:yourdomain.com` on Google. No results usually means a noindex or robots.txt block.
- In Search Console, run URL Inspection on the home page. It shows whether Google may index it.
- Open the Security Issues and Manual Actions reports. Google names both as causes of drops (Google Search Central: Debugging drops).
Is it the redesign, or something else?
Compare the same weeks before and after launch. In Search Console's Performance report, use Date → Compare, then look at which pages and queries lost clicks (Google Search Central: Debugging drops).
- Lost clicks sit on old URLs that no longer exist: redirects.
- Every page fell by a similar amount: a sitewide block, or a Google update. Google lists algorithm updates and seasonality as other common causes (same page).
- Search traffic held but calls fell: the problem is on the page, not in Google. Check that the phone number, booking button and contact form on the new site work on a phone.
- Analytics shows near zero: the tracking code may not have been added to the new site. Compare with Search Console's Performance report before you trust either number.
Example
A plumber's new template site
The old site had 12 city pages. The new one has 5 pages and no redirects. Search Console shows 40 "Not found (404)" URLs. Fix: rebuild the city pages that ranked and 301 the rest to the closest service page.
A dental office on a new platform
Traffic fell to almost zero over a month. URL Inspection shows "noindex" on every page, left on from the test site. Fix: remove it and resubmit the sitemap.
A cleaning company with a new name and domain
The new domain started from scratch in Search Console. Fix: 301 every old URL to the new domain, file a Change of Address, and keep the redirects for at least a year.
Different for you?
- Calls fell but traffic didn't: Website not getting leads.
- Your Google Business Profile disappeared too: Google Business Profile not showing up.
- A brand-new domain with no history: How long SEO takes for a new website.
- The old agency still holds your domain or site: Leaving your marketing agency.
- You want someone to audit and fix it: SEO & GEO Agent.