Written by Explore Digital 
You just launched your beautiful new website. It’s fast, modern, and looks incredible. You flip the switch, excited for the new leads to roll in…
And then, silence.
Your traffic falls off a cliff. The phone stops ringing. It feels like your business has vanished from Google overnight.
It’s a nightmare scenario we’ve helped countless business owners fix. A website relaunch should grow your business, not sink it. The problem almost always comes down to a few simple, overlooked steps that your web designer might not have known to take.
Here’s what goes wrong, and how to make sure your website launch is a success.
The Nightmare Scenario: Why a New Website Can Kill Your Traffic
It almost always starts with good intentions. You want a fresh, professional look for your business. You hire a talented designer, focus on making it look great, and try to keep costs reasonable.
In the process, a critical piece gets ignored: your SEO (Search Engine Optimization).
SEO is the foundation that helps customers find you on Google. When it’s forgotten during a redesign, all the trust and authority you’ve built with search engines over the years can be wiped out in an instant.
This devastating drop in traffic usually boils down to three critical—but entirely fixable—mistakes.
The 3 Mistakes That Can Make You Invisible on Google
These mistakes sound technical, but their impact on your business is very real. To make it clear what’s at stake, we’re going to use a few simple analogies. You don’t need to become an SEO expert, but understanding these concepts will empower you to ask your web developer the right questions and protect your bottom line during the redesign process.
Mistake #1: Not Forwarding Your Mail
The Technical Term: No 301 Redirects
What it means for you: Think of it this way: each page on your old website had a specific address (a URL) that Google knew and trusted. When you create a new site, many of those addresses change.
Our SEO expert Barbie says, “Forgetting to set up “redirects” is like moving your office to a new building but failing to tell the post office where to forward your mail.”
All the letters, packages—and in this case, customers—sent to your old address are returned to the sender. Google sees a dead end, assumes your content is gone, and erases the ranking power your old pages worked so hard to earn.
The Fix: You need a “forwarding map” that tells Google, “Hey, the valuable content that used to be at this old address is now over here at this new address.” This is a critical step that preserves your SEO value.
Mistake #2: Leaving a “Do Not Disturb” Sign on the Door
The Technical Term: Forgetting to Remove a “noindex” Tag
What it means for you: While a new website is being built, developers often put up a digital “Do Not Disturb” sign so search engines don’t see the messy, unfinished work. This is a normal, smart practice.
The disaster happens when they forget to take the sign down after the site goes live.
Your brand-new site is essentially telling Google, “Don’t come in. We’re closed.” Google happily obeys, and your pages never get listed in search results, even if everything else is perfect.
The Fix: Before launch, someone must double-check that this block is removed, giving Google the green light to visit and rank your new pages.
Mistake #3: Not Announcing Your Grand Opening
The Technical Term: Not Submitting a Sitemap or Requesting Indexing in Google Search Console
What it means for you: Even if you’ve done everything right, you can’t just wait for Google to find your new site. You need to formally announce your launch. This is a two-step process. First, your developer submits an “XML sitemap”—a blueprint of your entire site—to Google.
However, just handing over the blueprint doesn’t guarantee Google will start reviewing it immediately. You have to give them a direct nudge. Using a free tool called Google Search Console, you can manually ask Google to “index” your most important pages. Without this proactive step, your new site can remain invisible for days or even weeks.
The Fix: Make sure your developer not only submits your sitemap but also uses Google Search Console to manually request indexing for your key pages right after launch. This single action can dramatically speed up your return to search results.
Beyond the Launch: The 3 Keys to Long-Term SEO Success
Getting the launch right is Step One. Growing your business with SEO comes down to three core pillars.
A Solid Technical Foundation
This is everything we just talked about: making sure your site is fast, mobile-friendly, and easy for Google to understand. It’s the non-negotiable bedrock of all other efforts.
Content That Speaks Your Customer’s Language
Your website needs to use the exact words and phrases your customers use when they search for your services. It’s not enough to just rank for “chiropractor in San Diego.” The real money is in the details.
A potential customer isn’t just searching for a chiropractor; they’re searching for a solution to a specific problem, like a “chiropractor for car accident injuries in san diego.”
These longer, more specific phrases (called long-tail keywords) bring you customers who are ready to buy. Your website content, from service pages to blog posts, should answer their specific questions.
Building Trust and Authority
Google wants to recommend businesses that are credible and trustworthy. One of the biggest ways it measures this is by seeing if other reputable websites are “linking” to yours.
Think of a link from another website as a vote of confidence. Earning these links from local news sites, industry blogs, or business partners tells Google you’re a legitimate leader in your field. It takes time, but this is what separates good rankings from dominant, long-lasting ones.
Don’t Let Your New Website Become a Horror Story
Need a team of marketing experts in your corner? Whether you want to secure an upcoming launch or fix one that’s gone wrong, we’re here to help. Book a free strategy call. We’ll analyze your situation and deliver the precise steps needed to protect your business and get you back on track.
