Business Best way to change a Wordpress theme? - GoFuckYourself.com

cordoba · 04-20-2021, 12:28 AM

Want to give my site a radical new look, but I'm worried about the effect on SERPs.

I have a new Wordpress theme in mind, but it will require a bit of customization and tinkering. It's quite different to my current theme too.

Is it a good idea to 'introduce it gradually'? For example, I could have the new theme up during the morning (which is also the US market pre-dawn) and tinker around with it, and then put the old one back at lunch time, and do this for a month or so until I'm confident in the new theme?

Or would that be even more likely to affect my SERPs if Google notices the lack of consistency?

Denny · 04-20-2021, 05:46 AM

I would just add that theme on a test site/domain and tweak it from there or just change the theme on actual site and customize it gradually but don't put the old theme back every time, it could harm your SERPs.

vdbucks · 04-20-2021, 05:55 AM

It really depends on your content structure, how well you have it organized, and whether you need to rework your content for a new theme.

If you're going with an 'out of the box' solution, and are coming from the same, then there shouldn't be any major issues other than specific theme settings you'll need to configure.

If you're coming from a custom theme then you need to consider that your custom theme was likely tailor made around your content, and your content specifically setup around the theme.

Now, your best bet would be to make a copy of the site on a new subdomain, call it staging.yourdomain.com, for example, which will give you the freedom to tinker to your hearts content without affecting your live traffic. Then, once you're confident in your changes and want to push them live, move yourdomain.com (current live site) to backup.yourdomain.com, then move staging.yourdomain.com to yourdomain.com to put it live. ANy host worth a lick can easily help with this.

As for SERPS and such, changing a theme won't affect any of that so long as you're improving the site, as opposed to hurting it.

cordoba · 04-20-2021, 11:16 AM

Thanks for the answers

It's a free Wordpress theme, but the latest update completely changed the design (may as well have been a new theme). So I re-installed the old version (still learning how to make child themes!).

Now the theme is playing up and some posts often overrun the one below them. I'm going to get penalized by Google if I don't do something. The thing is, it's a site that seems to 'punch above it's weight', and I think the theme must have something to do with it - it's quite an unusual theme.

So I've found a new free theme that I think can keep the bits that are helping me in the SERPS, while working and looking better overall. I'll do as you suggest and put it on a subdomain first.

04-20-2021, 12:28 AM	#1
cordoba Confirmed User Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 1,173	Best way to change a Wordpress theme? Want to give my site a radical new look, but I'm worried about the effect on SERPs. I have a new Wordpress theme in mind, but it will require a bit of customization and tinkering. It's quite different to my current theme too. Is it a good idea to 'introduce it gradually'? For example, I could have the new theme up during the morning (which is also the US market pre-dawn) and tinker around with it, and then put the old one back at lunch time, and do this for a month or so until I'm confident in the new theme? Or would that be even more likely to affect my SERPs if Google notices the lack of consistency?

04-20-2021, 05:46 AM	#2
Denny Too lazy to set a custom title Industry Role: Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 17,229	I would just add that theme on a test site/domain and tweak it from there or just change the theme on actual site and customize it gradually but don't put the old theme back every time, it could harm your SERPs. __________________

04-20-2021, 05:55 AM	#3
vdbucks Monger Cash Industry Role: Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 2,773	It really depends on your content structure, how well you have it organized, and whether you need to rework your content for a new theme. If you're going with an 'out of the box' solution, and are coming from the same, then there shouldn't be any major issues other than specific theme settings you'll need to configure. If you're coming from a custom theme then you need to consider that your custom theme was likely tailor made around your content, and your content specifically setup around the theme. Now, your best bet would be to make a copy of the site on a new subdomain, call it staging.yourdomain.com, for example, which will give you the freedom to tinker to your hearts content without affecting your live traffic. Then, once you're confident in your changes and want to push them live, move yourdomain.com (current live site) to backup.yourdomain.com, then move staging.yourdomain.com to yourdomain.com to put it live. ANy host worth a lick can easily help with this. As for SERPS and such, changing a theme won't affect any of that so long as you're improving the site, as opposed to hurting it.

04-20-2021, 11:16 AM	#4
cordoba Confirmed User Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 1,173	Thanks for the answers It's a free Wordpress theme, but the latest update completely changed the design (may as well have been a new theme). So I re-installed the old version (still learning how to make child themes!). Now the theme is playing up and some posts often overrun the one below them. I'm going to get penalized by Google if I don't do something. The thing is, it's a site that seems to 'punch above it's weight', and I think the theme must have something to do with it - it's quite an unusual theme. So I've found a new free theme that I think can keep the bits that are helping me in the SERPS, while working and looking better overall. I'll do as you suggest and put it on a subdomain first.