Have you ever removed a page that was actually bringing traffic

[tonbetan]

Just interested to know whether any of you have ever deleted or completly redesigned a page which was bringing some traffic and how was the result.

 

[root.samth]

It is what I have done, but I first take note of whether the intent behind the queries is worth the effort. If it is, I will optimize the page instead of deleting it.

 

[Ben Arthur]

Yes, I've done both.

Deleting a page completely without a 301 redirect is a quick way to lose that traffic for good.

Redesigning is a different story. When I overhaul a page, I usually see a slight dip in traffic for a week or two. As long as the new version is genuinely helpful and matches what people're searching for, the rankings almost always bounce back stronger.

 

[sarat]

I do not delete a page that is already getting traffic. I update the content first, make some small changes, and see if the traffic improves.

This is also what I do generally, Since there’s something on the page, it is something that I can analyze, so it is better to start with refreshing and improving it than deleting it.

 

[voxeltoon]

Just interested to know whether any of you have ever deleted or completly redesigned a page which was bringing some traffic and how was the result.

there have been occasions when the redesign of a website has benefited the site, however the deletion of a page that already generates traffic can prove dangerous. in such situations i would rather analyze its keywords nd backllinks before removing it.

 

[milesov]

Just interested to know whether any of you have ever deleted or completly redesigned a page which was bringing some traffic and how was the result.

Imo, the best links will always be when you give the solution through your content. for me, it is easier to concentrate on niche nd relationship building than hunting down any high metric link.

 

[potog]

Imo, the best links will always be when you give the solution through your content. for me, it is easier to concentrate on niche nd relationship building than hunting down any high metric link.

i have not done an entire revamp yet but i have observed situations where traffic has fallen off after a successful page has been alltered. wondering whether this is bcuz the fall off is usually temporary or the old page was just superior.

 

[Steptoe]

Just interested to know whether any of you have ever deleted or completly redesigned a page which was bringing some traffic and how was the result.

I think the key word here is was. I've removed many pages that were receiving traffic but only when that traffic dropped off or tanked completely. Many times I pretty much copy/pasted the entire page content onto a parasite and rode the traffic wave for longer. But I've never removed a page that was still receiving meaningful traffic.

 

[tonbetan]

Imo, the best links will always be when you give the solution through your content. for me, it is easier to concentrate on niche nd relationship building than hunting down any high metric link.

You are correct. An association that is gained based on the actual value that your content adds is genrally better than any high metric assoiation randomly obtained. The two often compound over time.

 

[rankflowmedia]

Deleting a page with active traffic is rarely a good idea unless it’s completely irrecoverable or cannibalizing a money page. Usually, a 301 redirect to a more relevant URL or doing a content refresh preserves most of the existing link equity.

 

[Crazy Monkey]

Yes, I have done this before. If a page is getting traffic, I first check its keywords and conversions. Then I improve or redirect it instead of deleting it completely.

 

[Sarah Mathews]

I think the key word here is was. I've removed many pages that were receiving traffic but only when that traffic dropped off or tanked completely. Many times I pretty much copy/pasted the entire page content onto a parasite and rode the traffic wave for longer. But I've never removed a page that was still receiving meaningful traffic.

Haha, that “was” says a lot.

I agree though if a page is still bringing meaningful traffic, I would treat it as an asset rather than something to experiment with unnecessarily.

If it already lost most of its traffic, that’s a different story. But if it still producing results, why destroy an asset that’s already working?

Sometimes the best seo strategy is simply knowing when not to touch something that works.

 

[allem.marco]

I redesigned a page that was already ranking on page 1, and after the redesign, it dropped to pages 3–4. So I would not recommend redesigning or deleting a page that’s already ranking. If it’s ranking, its probably satisfying the user’s intent — dont fix what isnt broken.

That’s happenned to me before too. Redesigning can unintetionally eliminate things that have been boosting your rankings, so I would suggest making gradual changes and analyzing the results rather than redoing the whole thing.

 

[Mr Explorer]

If you have to remove the page, you can redirect it to a similar useful page instead of sending visitors to the homepage.

 

[doodlepilot]

Just interested to know whether any of you have ever deleted or completly redesigned a page which was bringing some traffic and how was the result.

I have done this more than once before and traffic alone would not had been sufficient reason to keep the page. Without any kinds of conversion or purposefull traffic, it could have been mch easier to clean up or redirect the page.

 

[andracs]

If you change your website's angle, then why not? If you just want to change the design, you don't need to delete the page.

 

[vibe_zdrzin]

Why delete it?! Unless his page views, clicks, or conversion rates aren’t proportional to his performance, in which case it would be necessary to delete it and redesign it.

 

[pawanwebs]

Just interested to know whether any of you have ever deleted or completly redesigned a page which was bringing some traffic and how was the result.

I never recommend deleting a page that already has traffic. If you’re staying within the same niche and redesigning the page, the redesigned version should perform even better.

 

[seo_prime]

Yeah, I’ve done that before. It taught me to always check traffic, rankings, and backlinks before removing any page.

 

[Elian Ross]

Yeah I’ve done it before Sometimes traffic dips at first but if the new version matches the search intent better it can recover and even do better