Complete website redesign: original domain vs subdomain vs new domain ?

[PayPro]

Hello dear community fellas!
The story goes like this: my company has a good ol' website launched back in 2008 and since then nothing much was updated there. Our rank dropped significantly because, well, barely any SEO was done for it.

Me and my team decided to redesign the whole thing: content, structure, visuals, links, everything but this time really making it right. However, with our oldie we managed to get a nice user base, so we still want to get all the traffic juice out of it.

Now the questions is where do you think is the best place to publish our new website:

• Our original domain www.companyname.com?
• Create a subdomain new.companyname.com?
• Totally new domain www.namecompany.com?

Cheers!

[PayPro]

Thank you Tom for your comprehensive answer.

Indeed, we are experiencing some drops with backlinks comparing to the beginning of the year but I don't think it's the matter of penalty. The main source of incoming traffic is our publications, PRs, a few discussions and since we have a pause with publications that can be a reason for a drop.

Back to the matter: yes, we are updating company and product branding, keeping our value proposition as before, just making a stronger statement. And yes, I'd say I'm more inclined to the idea of keeping the domain as it is and publishing the new website there (of course with 301 redirect for old URLs) but many industry colleges suggested to create the subdomain for the "backup" purposes "in case if God knows what happens you will still have your old website structure".

Thanks again for your point of view, will definitely consider it.

[TomRayner]

Hi Kate

From an SEO perspective - is there anything "wrong" with your current domain, that you can see?  EG - do you have a bad backlink profile, do you think you're affected by a Google penalty?  If the answer to any of these is "yes", you might want to consider a new domain.

As a whole, I don't see any benefit with a subdomain solution.

But really, that's where I think the SEO considerations stop.  Look at it more from a business or branding point of view.  If this is a significant relaunch and rebrand, do you think that a new website would coincide with the relaunch and give it extra emphasis?  Is it a significant change of direction and do you think updating your current website would confuse or isolate your user base (as you're now something completely different)?  If yes, I'd look at a new domain.

But if you're just updating the look and feel of your site, or even if you're changing your marketing message, look and approach, but in essence you're the same company with the same values and user base, then I would stay on your current domain.  You'd get the benefit of your currently existing links yes, but really you'll be keeping continuity and you won't be interrupting your current users' journeys at all.

So there is a small SEO consideration here, but beyond that this is more of a business decision.  If you're completely changing the way you're doing business, go with a new domain.  If you're updating the brand and its appearance, but keeping the core values, then stay as you are.

Hope this helps.