An independent web design and development business based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, working with clients across Canada. I designed and developed the website myself, then began a structured SEO project to strengthen its technical foundation, content and organic search visibility.
VRB had already been live for approximately two to three months before I started focused SEO work on August 20, 2026. I connected Google Search Console and Semrush that day and began reviewing the existing website, its technical setup and the opportunities to make individual pages more useful and easier to find. Because tracking began alongside the work, there is no reliable pre-SEO search performance baseline.
Tracking started on August 20, 2026. The earliest daily record shows one impression and zero clicks, but this single day is not a pre-SEO baseline.
A record of the technical improvements, content updates, and search optimization work completed throughout the project.
Reviewed the latest GSC Web performance exports and indexing report. The daily performance export ends October 24; the indexing report was last updated October 22. Kept reporting periods and aggregation differences distinct.
Documented 16 clicks, 1,350 impressions, 229 visible query rows, and 146 indexed URLs.
During a production review, discovered that several accumulated SEO, content and internal linking changes had not reached the live website. Corrected the deployment and verified the updated website in production. Work completed before this date should not automatically be treated as live.
Confirmed the accumulated changes were live on September 24.
Following production verification, resubmitted the updated XML sitemap in Google Search Console so Google could discover the published URLs.
Sitemap resubmitted; no verified discovered-URL count is available.
Reviewed how related content and sidebar navigation could guide visitors from informational articles toward relevant services. Production availability of all related updates was not verified until September 24.
Used Google Search Console URL Inspection and indexing reports to investigate priority articles and pages, including the “7 Signs” article. Requested indexing where appropriate; requests do not guarantee inclusion in search results.
Defined a content roadmap around redesign timing, SEO implications, cost, refresh versus redesign, and website planning. The articles were developed over multiple dates; the roadmap date does not imply every article was live on September 3.
Established a connected set of topics to answer common client questions.
Connected Google Search Console and Semrush and began a structured review of the existing VRB website. The website had been live for roughly two to three months before this work started.
Established the first recorded SEO tracking period; no pre-SEO GSC baseline is available.
Published “7 Signs Your Website Needs a Redesign” and began developing related content for people planning or reconsidering a website.
Began the website redesign content cluster.
Reviewed titles, meta descriptions, heading structure, semantic markup, robots.txt, XML sitemap, canonical URLs, crawl accessibility and indexing. This work was carried out across late August and September; exact implementation dates vary.
Semrush Site Health was later observed at approximately 96% with zero errors at one checkpoint; the precise audit date is not confirmed.
Reduced font usage and made website performance improvements. These changes should not be described as verified Core Web Vitals gains because GSC did not have enough field data.
Developed page-level keyword targets: homepage around web developer Halifax, process around web design process, about around freelance web designer Canada, and services around web design and development services. Reviewed the role of individual service and package pages.
Created a clearer distinction between service-focused and informational content.
Organized articles into clearer topic categories and hubs, added related-article links and an In This Topic sidebar, and improved navigation between connected articles. Some accumulated changes were only confirmed in production on September 24.
Added and reviewed links between blog articles, services, packages, and relevant portfolio work, with attention to user intent and the next useful page rather than inserting links purely for SEO.
Reviewed article authorship, testimonials, professional experience and links between project work and service offerings.
Refined homepage copy and presentation, including the positioning line “Where design, development and strategy connect.” Kept descriptive web design, development and Halifax/Canada service context in supporting copy. The homepage underwent several iterations, and an exact production date for the latest version is not confirmed.
An ongoing look at organic search visibility, clicks, and performance recorded through Google Search Console.
Sep 27 to Oct 24
Daily Google Search Console performance. Comparisons use matching calendar-length periods when complete data is available.
Explore the search queries generating visibility for this website, including impressions, clicks, click-through rates, and average positions.
| Search query | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| website redesign seo | 0 | 96 | 0.00% | 84.8 |
| does website redesign affect seo | 0 | 29 | 0.00% | 74.9 |
| seo and website redesign | 0 | 28 | 0.00% | 85.9 |
| wrb design | 0 | 27 | 0.00% | 37.7 |
| how often should you redesign your website | 0 | 26 | 0.00% | 56.6 |
| how often should you update your website | 0 | 21 | 0.00% | 85.0 |
| website maintenance | 0 | 20 | 0.00% | 45.1 |
| web design and maintenance | 0 | 20 | 0.00% | 62.0 |
| maintenance for website | 0 | 20 | 0.00% | 78.0 |
| website redesign seo considerations | 0 | 20 | 0.00% | 92.7 |
Search query data is sourced from Google Search Console exports. Anonymized queries may not appear in exported results, so the number of rows should not be interpreted as a complete count of all searches.
Explore how individual website pages are performing in organic search, from early impressions to growing visibility.
| Page | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Should You Redesign Your Website For Seo/blog/website-redesign/should-you-redesign-your-website-for-seo | 0 | 266 | 0.00% | 84.2 |
How Often Should You Redesign Your Website/blog/website-redesign/how-often-should-you-redesign-your-website | 0 | 171 | 0.00% | 57.1 |
Small Business Website Cost Canada/blog/web-design/small-business-website-cost-canada | 0 | 135 | 0.00% | 60.2 |
Website Maintenance/blog/website-maintenance | 0 | 132 | 0.00% | 58.3 |
Why Consistency Matters In Ui Design/blog/ux-ui-development/why-consistency-matters-in-ui-design | 0 | 94 | 0.00% | 10.2 |
How Much Information Should You Put On A Webpage/blog/ux-ui-development/how-much-information-should-you-put-on-a-webpage | 1 | 79 | 1.27% | 30.9 |
Web Designer Vs Web Developer/blog/web-design/web-designer-vs-web-developer | 0 | 60 | 0.00% | 71.3 |
Website Refresh Vs Redesign/blog/web-design/website-refresh-vs-redesign | 0 | 44 | 0.00% | 73.8 |
Metrics reflect pages included in the selected Google Search Console export. Exported row totals may differ from the overall performance totals.
A closer look at indexing, sitemap configuration, performance checks, and technical issues throughout the project.
Recorded Oct 26, 2026
A chronological record of meaningful SEO changes, technical milestones, and search performance observations throughout the project.
The latest exports recorded 16 clicks, 1,350 impressions, and 229 visible search queries for the available performance period. A separate indexing report showed 146 indexed URLs.
A historical report showed 15 clicks, approximately 1,180 impressions, 222 visible queries, and an average position of 55.4. These cumulative results were reviewed as part of ongoing monitoring.
A historical Google Search Console report showed 11 clicks, 903 impressions, approximately 166 visible queries, and an average position of 59.6. The reporting window overlaps earlier checkpoints.
Discovered that accumulated SEO and content changes had not reached production. Corrected the deployment, verified the live website, and resubmitted the sitemap. This is an important date when interpreting later search performance.
A historical 28-day checkpoint showed six clicks, 702 impressions, approximately 145 visible queries, and an average position of 65.2. The increase in query discovery was encouraging, but the short reporting history did not establish sustained traffic growth.
An ongoing assessment of search performance, technical improvements, and the opportunities ahead.
I started SEO work on VRB on August 20, 2026, after the website had already been live for approximately two to three months. The first phase focused on improving the technical foundation, organizing content around relevant topics, and creating clearer connections between informational articles and services. Google Search Console has started recording visibility across a wider range of searches, particularly those related to website redesign, SEO, and website planning. Between August 20 and October 24, the website recorded 16 clicks and 1,350 impressions. These are useful early results, but the project is still in its early stages, and I am continuing to monitor how search visibility develops.
The most meaningful lessons and observations from the project so far.
A structured SEO strategy has given the website a clearer technical and content foundation. Keyword research, page targeting, internal linking, and indexing are now part of an ongoing process rather than isolated changes.
Informational content is appearing for relevant searches. Articles about website redesign, SEO, and website planning have generated impressions, showing that Google is discovering the topics the content was written to address.
Search visibility does not automatically translate into website traffic. Several articles have generated impressions without clicks, and many of their average ranking positions remain low.
The homepage is currently responsible for most recorded organic clicks. It generated 10 of the 16 clicks in the page-level export, while informational articles generated much of the search visibility.
Individual page performance can reveal opportunities that overall averages do not. For example, Why Consistency Matters in UI Design recorded 94 impressions at an average position of 10.21, despite receiving no clicks during the reporting period.
Technical implementation needs to be verified in production. The September 24 deployment correction was an important reminder that completed SEO work cannot influence the live website until those changes have actually been published.
SEO results need to be evaluated over time. The available reporting period is still short, and there is not enough evidence to attribute changes in search performance to individual optimizations.
Planned SEO improvements and opportunities to explore as the project develops.
Continue monitoring Google Search Console performance, including clicks, impressions, average position, and the queries associated with individual pages.
Identify articles that are gaining relevant impressions and evaluate whether their content, titles, and internal links can be improved without making unnecessary changes too early.
Continue strengthening the relationship between informational articles, service pages, and portfolio case studies.
Monitor service-related searches to understand whether the website is becoming easier to discover for people actively looking for web design and development services.
Review indexing exclusions as Google continues crawling the website, distinguishing intentionally removed URLs from current pages that require attention.
Continue reviewing technical performance and report Core Web Vitals results once sufficient real-world data becomes available.
Track meaningful organic traffic and enquiry activity as the reporting period becomes long enough to support more reliable conclusions.
Update this case study with new performance snapshots, technical checkpoints, and documented SEO changes as the project continues.
Dated observations based on the project's available search performance data.
Articles about website redesign, SEO, website costs, and maintenance generated substantial impressions during the reporting period. Should You Redesign Your Website for SEO? recorded 266 impressions, while How Often Should You Redesign Your Website? recorded 171. Both recorded zero clicks, showing that visibility has not yet translated into consistent traffic.
The homepage recorded 10 clicks from 42 impressions, accounting for most of the 16 clicks in the page-level export. The available query data does not identify which searches generated those clicks, so they should not automatically be described as non-branded traffic.
Why Consistency Matters in UI Design recorded 94 impressions at an average position of 10.21, with no clicks. Compared with several higher-impression articles, this page had a stronger average ranking position. It is worth monitoring as more search data becomes available.
The October indexing report showed 146 indexed URLs and 27 non-indexed URLs. Twelve URLs listed as Crawled - currently not indexed had been checked and were no longer available on the live website. The report should therefore be interpreted alongside the current website rather than treating every exclusion as an unresolved technical issue.
The deployment review confirmed that some completed SEO and content work had not reached the live website. September 24 is therefore an important implementation checkpoint. Earlier performance cannot be attributed to changes that were not yet available in production.
The daily performance data shows a pronounced increase in impressions during early September, including 101 impressions on September 8, 282 on September 9, and 169 on September 10. Activity then decreased and became more variable. This was an early visibility change, but it does not demonstrate consistent traffic growth or prove a particular SEO change caused the increase.
SEO results need context. These considerations help explain what the available data can and cannot tell us.