Will Switching To a CMS System Help Rankings

[hfranz]

I would like to transform  our 400 page website to a CMS system. We rank failrly well for most of our keywords and not so much for others. Our website is currently optimized with lots of unique content, but we need to transform to a  more professional website with lots of options. Will doing this transformation affect our rankings if Redirects are correct ? Any recommedations for a Easy CMS that is very SEO Friendly?

[RyanKent]

I would recommend reading the below article. It is from 2008, but still very relevant to your decision on CMS selection.

http://www.seomoz.org/blog/choosing-the-right-cms-platform-for-your-website-from-an-seo-perspective

Will doing this transformation affect our rankings if Redirects are correct ?

Anytime you add a redirect, a small amount (1-10%) of link value is lost. However, if the change means an improved site for your visitors, then your new design benefits should outweigh this effect.

Any recommedations for a Easy CMS that is very SEO Friendly?

WordPress is very popular and SEO friendly. A lot depends on how you want to present the content and your reasons for moving to a CMS.

A topical article you can look at: http://www.seo.com/blog/lord-of-the-seo-friendly-cms/

Will Switching To a CMS System Help Rankings

It can, but the switch itself isn't what makes a difference.

Will your new CMS present your existing content in a better manner?

Do you have buried articles that a new CMS might position better making them easier to find?

Do you have SEO issues which the CMS is set up to resolve?

There are too many factors involved to offer a definitive answer.

[hfranz]

Thank You. Great Articles. Any recommendations on where to purchase WP Templates for a Non Blogging Site. We sell products, and do not want the blog look. I found some but they have you sign up for a membership. I am willing to pay for the design.

[RyanKent]

The site I have seen the most for WP templates is: http://themeforest.net/

I have no personal experience with the site so I cannot comment further. There are plenty of sites which offer designs if you are unhappy with that site. They seem expensive to me, but they have a ton of designs and several look exceptionally nice.