Should You Revert Your WordPress Site from www to Non-Www?
If you’re managing a long-established WordPress website and have recently faced an unexpected transition from a non-www to a www domain, you might be grappling with the decision of whether to revert this change. This situation can create complications, especially if your site has been attracting considerable traffic for years.
The Incident
Recently, I noticed a significant change in my site’s configuration. Somewhere along the line—potentially due to a plugin or a manual error—my site’s URL settings were altered to the www version. While this may seem like a minor update, it led to more serious issues, including a 404 error on my sitemap and a plethora of my pages losing visibility on search engines.
After the change, my sitemap was not automatically redirected, which required me to refresh my permalink structure manually. During this downtime, I experienced a noticeable drop in site revenue, making it all the more critical to find a resolution.
Exploring Reversion vs. Staying with www
Now, I am faced with a challenging choice: Should I revert back to my original non-www configuration, or should I adapt my site to accommodate the new www format?
Currently, I’m receiving conflicting advice from my SEO consultant. One suggestion is to update the menu items and internal links to the www version in order to eradicate the redirect errors that have emerged since the change was made. While this approach offers a straightforward fix, it also feels overwhelming, considering the extra work involved.
On the other hand, reverting back to the non-www version seems like a simpler solution. By returning to what has historically worked for my site, I can avoid the complications associated with the redirect errors and potential ranking issues in search engines.
Factors to Consider
As I deliberate this decision, there are a few key aspects I need to weigh:
-
SEO Implications: How will either choice impact my search engine rankings? Will changing back to non-www create further issues, or will it stabilize my SEO presence?
-
User Experience: A seamless user experience should always be a priority. If all my internal links point consistently to the same format, it would likely benefit site visitors.
-
Technical Challenges: Understanding the technical implications of each option is crucial. I need to ensure that whatever change is made, it won’t create a cycle of errors.
-
Traffic Recovery: Assessing how quickly traffic can return to normal