When is it time for a website refresh? If your website is 5 to 10 years old, it may look fine on the surface but your results may be starting to slip. Traffic is flatter than it used to be, leads are inconsistent, or updating content feels harder than it should. This is a common stage for growing businesses, but it does not automatically mean you need a brand new website.
In many cases, the smarter move for your business may be a website refresh. A refresh focuses on improving what already exists — content, structure, performance, and search visibility — without rebuilding everything from the ground up. Take a look at our Top 10 list of website updates that can breathe new life into your old site.
1. Outdated Information Should be Updated During a Website Refresh
One of the quickest ways a website loses credibility, with customers and search engines, is through small, outdated details that quietly add up. Older sites often contain incorrect contact information, expired scheduling links, old service names, or references to how long the business has been operating.
A website refresh starts by reviewing these details across the entire site, including the footer, About page, and service pages. Making sure your business information, pricing, timelines, and links are accurate instantly improves trust and usability, which are key factors in search recognition.
2. Refresh and Add Content For Better Search Optimization
If your website is built on WordPress or Shopify, content updates should be simple and that is a big advantage. Adding a new service, introducing a team member, publishing or updating blog posts, or adding new product information is often all that is needed to keep the site relevant and increase the chances that it will appear in AI and Google search results.
If your site is not built on WordPress or Shopify and content updates are difficult or time-consuming, that friction alone is often a sign the platform may be limiting your results and should be reviewed as part of a refresh or rebuild.
It is also important to review older content with a short shelf life. Pages referencing past promotions, launches, events, or outdated information should be updated or removed so visitors are not confused by old messaging.
3. A Website Refresh Includes Cleaning Up Navigation and Site Structure
Over time, menus tend to grow cluttered as pages are added but never reorganized. This affects both user experience and SEO performance. Visitors should be able to quickly understand what you do and how to explore your site without digging through layers of navigation.
A website refresh often includes simplifying menus, removing unnecessary links, and ensuring important pages are easy to find. Clear structure helps users move through the site and helps search engines understand which pages matter most.
4. Take Time to Fix Broken Links and Unused Pages
Older websites frequently contain broken links, unlinked pages, or duplicate content that no longer serves a purpose. These issues frustrate users and signal poor maintenance to search engines.
Part of extending a site’s lifespan is identifying and fixing broken links, deleting pages that are no longer needed, and hiding or disabling content that should not be indexed. This simple website refresh alone can improve performance without any visible design changes.
5. Refresh Your Website’s Photos, Testimonials, and Portfolio
Visuals and social proof age faster than most businesses realize. Outdated photos or testimonials from years ago can make a site feel stale, even if the layout still works.
Updating brand photography, rotating in recent testimonials, and refreshing your portfolio or project examples keep your website aligned with who you are today. These updates also play a major role in building trust and improving conversions.
6. Give Your Calls to Action and Page Flow a New Look
Older websites often rely on generic calls to action that do not reflect how users actually make decisions today. During a website refresh, it is worth reviewing the buttons and links on each page to make sure they are clear, relevant, and pointing to the correct destinations.
Even small wording changes can make it easier for visitors to take the next step, whether that is booking a call, requesting a quote, or contacting your team.
7. Apply Light SEO and GEO Updates in Your Website Refresh
Search engines evolve constantly and AI search is big factor to consider, but that does not mean you need to rebuild your website every time an algorithm changes. Instead, a refresh focuses on aligning your site with current SEO and GEO best practices.
Simple refreshes include:
- Updating page titles and meta descriptions to match current search intent for SEO and GEO
- Refreshing page content so it aligns with questions people ask when they search verbally
- Optimizing images with proper sizing and alt text for visual search
- Reviewing internal links so related pages support each other
This is especially important for local SEO and GEO visibility, where search results increasingly depend on clarity, context, and trust signals, not just keywords.
8. Check Site Speed, Mobile Experience, and Core Web Vitals
Many 5–10-year-old websites were built before speed and mobile performance became critical ranking and conversion factors. Even if your site technically “works” on mobile, it may load slowly, shift content as it loads, or be difficult to use on smaller screens.
As part of a website refresh, it is important to evaluate site speed, mobile usability, and Core Web Vitals. This can include compressing images, cleaning up unused plugins or scripts, improving hosting, and fixing layout issues that cause frustration for users.
9. Add or Improve Schema Markup For Stronger SEO
Schema markup helps search engines and AI search bots to better understand your website content, from services and locations to reviews and FAQs. Many 5 to 10-year-old websites either lack schema entirely or use outdated implementations.
Adding or improving structured data does not change how your site looks, but it can improve how your business appears in search results and support stronger SEO, GEO, AEO, and local performance.
10. Evaluate Your Website Performance to Guide You in Your Website Refresh
Before investing in a redesign, it is important to understand what is actually holding your website back. Reviewing Google analytics, Search Console data, and user behaviour provides clarity on where improvements will have the biggest impact. Which pages generate the most traffic and where do customers spend the most time? Which pages are they abandoning quickly? Who is actually your customer and is there a different one you want to target? This step often reveals that a handful of targeted updates can deliver better results than a full rebuild.
When a Website Refresh Is Enough and When It’s Not
If your website:
- Is easy to update
- Works well on mobile
- Reflects your current brand and services
…a refresh can extend its life for several more years.
A full rebuild usually only makes sense when the platform is outdated, the site is difficult to maintain, or your business has completely changed direction. Most businesses sit somewhere in the middle and that’s exactly when a smart, strategic website refresh makes the most sense.
Is Your Website Showing its Age? Start Your Website Refresh With a Full Audit
Every website is different, which is why guessing where to make changes often leads to wasted time and budget. If your website is five to ten years old and no longer delivering the results you expect, a full rebuild may not be necessary. A focused website refresh, guided by a clear audit, is often the smarter first step.
At 3SIXTY Marketing Solutions, our website audits look at content, structure, SEO and GEO visibility, and technical performance to identify where your site can be optimized for maximum results. The goal is to extend the life of your existing website and make sure it’s working as hard as your business is. We can help you figure out what needs to be fixed and how to refresh your website for the best results. Call us today at 705-252-4180 or book a consultation online now to get started.
