A post-launch traffic drop is a signal to investigate, not proof that a designer 'wiped out' rankings. First compare the same search property and time period, then examine the URLs that lost clicks. A technical mistake may be fixable; some movement is normal while Google processes changed pages.
Check the real path
- Compare affected queries and landing URLs in Search Console against the prelaunch baseline.
- Test old URLs for relevant permanent redirects and inspect final status codes.
- Check new pages for noindex directives, canonical targets, robots blocks, and missing content.
- Update the sitemap and internal links, then monitor recrawling and indexing for the affected pages.
Decide what to change
Restore a missing page or correct a bad redirect when evidence supports it. Do not redirect every retired URL to the homepage or promise an exact ranking recovery date. If the content and intent changed, reassess the page itself.
Put it in the project brief
Before paying for a fix, ask the provider to name the affected page or workflow, the change they will make, how they will test it, and which dependencies or exclusions could change the estimate. Keep the baseline and the completed test so both sides can see what improved.
How ARCHV can help
ARCHV can investigate launch-related technical issues under a defined scope. Ongoing SEO recovery and content strategy are separate work. Share the current page and the problem through ARCHV's website estimate form. If you are an agency seeking delivery support, see the partner route.