How do you ensure best SEO for a re-designed website?

[Madsack791]

I am re-designing a website and just wanted to clarify a couple of things about SEO.

1) Does it make a difference to Google if all the HTML files are in the root folder or are organised into sub-folders?

2) How do I get Google to recognise the new site and not try to send people to the old site or "page not found" when they search? Will re-submitting the new site to Google automatically get rid of the old links or do I have to do anything else?

Thanks for any help!
Thanks JeffE! If the new URL is the same and I keep the file names the same (as in the old files are deleted) does Google see these as completely new files, or just updates of the old ones? I assume if I change the folder structure they are recognised as different files.

[JeffE]

1) No.

2) Mention your URL in a forum, or tweet it, bookmark it, facebook it etc. Place it where the webcrawlers go.
No, the old google links will still be there for a short time. It's best to redirect the old URL if you still have access to it. Redirect it using a "Page moved permanently" code.

[Keyideas]

You can keep all html files in root folder and try to keep your file name with keyword you are using on that page.
You can permanent redirect all old website's pages to new websites for avoiding 404 errors.

[Matthew Smith]

Hello
There are two ways if you are making a change in your folder and sub folder in that case your all old URL will changed and you will face a problem with old URL. so to avoid this problem you have to use redirection for all old pages.

If you want to inform to google about your new web pages then just create a RSS, XML Sitemap, and submit all the web pages to all search engine and use proper redirection to avoid the broken links.

Hope you understand.

[The Black Seo Guy]

1. No
2.You don't have to submit sites to Google anymore nor do you have to remove links..they will take care of that for you..but you must be ready to implement seo. or your site will fail..

"Black Seo Guy "Signing Off"

[Nicole]

Very often, during the redesign of the website, the backend platform and / or Content Management System is changing. When this happens, it often means that each page has a new address. For example, if you want to change. Asp platform. Php forum, URL, now it's over. Php instead. Asp SEO point of view of the fact that search engines are completely new URLs to index and all URLs that are indexed old no longer valid.