Will changing content managment systems affect rankings?

[dcostigan]

We're considering changing our content management system.  This would probably change our url structure (keep root domain name, but specific product pages and what not would have different full urls). Will our rankings be affected if we use different urls for current pages? I know we can do 401 redirects, but anything else I should consider?

Thanks,

Dan

[William.Lau]

I think you mean 301 redirects. The best way to not lose any rankings at all is making sure each URL has a 301 redirect to the new URL. Otherwise, all your links will just return an error.

Usually this is the best way to ensure link juice is being passed to your new URLs. It is tedious but needs to be done.

[SEO5Team]

Hi Dan,

Changing your content management system is among the most common processes to affect search visibility. However, there are definitely ways to change your CMS while minimizing the chance of losing ranking. 301 redirects need to be used to change your old URLs to new ones, while top referring link sources should be analyzed and perhaps contacted for notification of the new URL, so your inbound links won’t be affected. Pages which cannot be mapped need custom 404 error pages, preferably with a user-friendly message to let visitors know the status of the page. Once your new CMS system is in place, make sure you pay close attention to your analytics for broken links and 404 errors so these can be dealt with immediately. Keeping all this in mind, and referring to TopRank’s blog post  for further understanding, will help keep your rankings secure while you update your website.

[EGOL]

When you move to a new CMS there could be changes in your.....

-- page URLs

-- title tags

-- onpage optimization markup

-- persistent navigation

-- anchor text on persistent navigation links

-- category, page, tag, etc treatment

-- other changes

If you are planning to move to a new CMS your goal should be to kick your SEO up a notch instead of worrying if you are going to lose something.  If you are in fear of loss then that is the call for more study or to have a professional CMS and SEO expert review your plans for moving the site or even do the move for you.  The price might not be as high as you think.

Don't move your site thinking that you are taking a risk.  Move your site with a plan if upping your game.

[dcostigan]

Thanks for the response. My main concern was the loss of rankings.  I thought the change in URL's may negatively affect rankings.

[dcostigan]

Thank you very much.