I recall my worst website migration project vividly as it kicked off one of the hardest periods in my SEO career.
Up to the point of launch, I had done stellar work across varying sites and platforms. I was noted by various team leaders and clients as the expert in SEO migrations across e-commerce sites.
I was extraordinarily proud.
I began working on this particular automotive migration project. Their intention was to migrate to a new e-commerce platform, with the initial launch setting the tone for subsequent launches.
It was a bit more complex than what I was used to but felt I could take it on.
And why not?
I had proven time and again that I can take on any project, break it down and turn it on its head into a success. Up to that point, I had completed upwards of 100 launches.
I was going to be ok, I thought.
Red Flags
The launch date was a moving target, constantly being pushed back for one reason or another. I got way too comfortable and began to think with every impending launch date, “I’m sure it’ll get pushed back again”.
The CMS wasn’t a platform I had been extensively familiar with when it came to migrations. I didn’t understand the various nuances and (major) limitations around building redirects for this platform and was going in blind.
A major aspect of any migration was a redirect strategy and I hadn’t created a correct QA process. As such, I hadn’t built out, tested or scaled our redirect map logic across the thousands of pages.
A huge, HUGE miss.
If any issue were to occur, I assumed different teams would be able to pivot quickly if things derailed, neglecting their priorities. Everyone was working on a facet of the launch. Some teams were still maintaining the current site in parallel to creating the new site.
There weren’t any contingencies in my SEO project plan for any redirect issue. What was the protocol? Who do I talk to? Who are the teams? Where would I resolve the issue?
So many unanswered questions before such a massive launch.
Launch Day
On launch day, sure enough, error after error started popping up across all channels.
At first it started with, “Hey, these PPC URLs are broken” and I would get to work trying to create a redirect rule.
It was irresponsibly reactive.
We thought we fixed one batch of pages then another popped up and then another.
It began to avalanche to “Hey, none of these URLs are working”.
I remember I scurried to create a redirect rule that was meant to resolve a specific site section but without testing on a website migration tool; it had inadvertent redirect behavior. Which added more confusion across the teams.
Revenue began to plummet.
…never a good thing at this scale.
Partner agencies, directors and CEO’s got called in to discuss. Everyone realized the full scope of severity.
It was an absolute mess.
I didn’t have an answer to any question on why we had gone in blind.
Not only had my growing reputation of being a website migration expert been pummeled into the ground but mentally I was in free-fall.
I hated everything I had done up to that point.
I didn’t care about SEO, I didn’t care about sites, I didn’t care about anything.
I was a fake only masquerading as an expert.
I only wanted to crawl under the biggest rock, underneath the biggest mountain, underneath the deepest ocean.
It was tough.
The weekend of the redirect fiasco was my wife and I’s wedding anniversary. My mind was completely elsewhere. One evening, after the launch, I talked to my wife – I cried and cried over how big of a mess I caused.
The Aftermath
The dust began to settle. Organic search and revenue across the board was still taking a beating.
But something very interesting happened…
I began talking to my clients’ internal team members and other partners on a very regular basis. They were all really nice. No one was hostile despite what we were up against.
Together, we not only began to clean up the migration but we started building the processes for subsequent launches.
Yes, our client still wanted us as their partner; they had invested a great deal of time with us and it only makes sense that we continue working through issues.
The communication and risk check-ins became seamless and very agile. We looped in an additional SEO team member and I brought him up to speed on the history of the account.
He became an expert in the redirect logic and knew what was uploaded, where, when, and how. He would be an extraordinarily pivotal part of every launch thereafter.
It was a very elegant dance. The communication, responses, QAing, remedying.
After the major launch failure, we managed to migrate and consolidate upwards of 10 sites.
I can’t thank this client enough for grounding me.
I thought I had prepared myself for every possible scenario and I could do no wrong. And yet, I was extremely wrong.
My client made me a better consultant but they also reminded me of something more important…
Issues like these are momentary, no matter how hard they are.
“This too shall pass” is a mantra I appreciate now more than ever; one I remind myself when things are hard and seem bleak.
After this failure, I engaged in upwards of +200 migrations – separate client sites. I ended up managing a team of SEOs. I built healthy relationships with industry leaders. I was seen as an expert in my field.
Above all else, I was a better person. Everyone needs to be humbled, even if ego is at stake.
My biggest failure became one of my biggest accomplishments.
It defined who I am.
