Hospital Website Redesign: Managing URL Changes and Search Traffic

When reviewing a website redesign quote, it is easy to focus on the design and menus and overlook what will happen to existing page addresses. People find a hospital by searching for service information as well as its name. They may also return through saved links to treatment information, doctor profiles or directions. Before the new site launches, decide where those links will take them.

Match existing URLs to their new pages first

Individual page addresses can change when you merge menus or switch platforms, even if the domain stays the same. First, look for existing URLs you have no reason to change and consider keeping them. Ask the web agency for a URL mapping that lists old and new addresses side by side. Your hospital can review the page's current content, its proposed destination, whether it will be kept, merged or removed, and the check result.

If an old page about back pain is merged into a new page about spinal care, check that the new page still answers what visitors to the old page wanted to know. A similar page name is not enough to complete the check. If a service has ended and there is no replacement content, discuss treating the page as removed rather than sending people somewhere unrelated.

Build the list from more than the current menu. Check old sitemaps, pages that received search visits and addresses linked from other websites. Include older notices and downloads that no longer appear in the menu. Mark service pages with substantial search traffic so you know which ones to check first after the move.

Verify the redirect method and the final destination

A redirect automatically sends someone opening an old address to a new one. For permanent URL changes, Google recommends a permanent server-side redirect, such as a 301 or 308, where possible. Hospital staff do not need to learn the configuration. Ask the agency to confirm both the method used and the address people actually reach. See Google's redirect guidance.

Avoid sending every old URL to the new homepage. Someone looking for a specific service would have to start searching the site again. When several pages are combined, redirect them to the page that actually contains the combined information.

Instead of a single “redirects completed” note, ask for a record of the old URL, final destination, whether the redirect is permanent and any errors. Hospital staff should open important addresses themselves and flag those leading to the wrong service or an error page. This gives both teams the same reference for fixes and rechecks.

Update addresses within the new website too

Redirects do not finish the job if menus and links in the new site still point to old addresses. Ask the agency to update internal links and confirm that the sitemap, the list of pages supplied to search engines, has been updated and submitted. Assign someone to update links in the hospital's ads, map listings and social accounts as well.

Before launch, check that development-only search blocks have been removed and that images and information files linked through old addresses still open. Obtain the completed URL mapping separately from the design sign-off. If the domain is changing, ask the agency to assess whether the Search Console Change of Address process is needed.

Include post-launch checks in the migration scope

Google explains that rankings may fluctuate while it recrawls and processes new URLs. Correct redirects cannot guarantee that previous rankings and traffic will stay unchanged. Record search clicks and impressions for important pages before launch, then review the new URLs' indexing, broken links or redirects, and traffic changes together to help narrow down possible causes.

The contract should name who checks which reports, who receives fault reports and how long monitoring will continue. Also record who will maintain redirects from the old URLs and what that will cost. Google recommends keeping redirects for as long as possible, generally at least one year. Make sure those redirects can keep working before deciding whether to end the old hosting service, and remember domain renewals.

Use Google's site-move guidance to review the proposed scope. If you are planning a hospital website redesign, speak with BlinkAd about URL migration, verification records and post-launch checks alongside the design.