A real‑world look at the prep work that saved a music‑licensing platform from traffic loss
When you switch e‑commerce platforms or rebuild a site, design usually steals the spotlight. But if you skip a plan to protect search equity, years of traffic can vanish the day you launch.
We’ve recently worked with a global music‑licensing marketplace that’s preparing for a platform migration scheduled within the next 12 months.
Here’s a concise look at the facts of the project and the SEO guard‑rails we’ve put in place.
About the client
- 6,000+ audio products (original scores, SFX, ambient loops)
- ~20,000 URLs indexed after five years of consistent SEO work
- Organic search delivers ≈70% of new users
Their current platform is starting to limit their content flexibility, back‑end performance, and overall scalability, so they’re evaluating alternatives well ahead of the move.
Five priorities we addressed
- Audit what already works
A full technical crawl and analytics review surfaced the highest‑performing pages, core URL patterns, backlink profile, and instances of keyword cannibalisation across product and category pages. - Compare new platforms through an SEO lens
• This was the most important thing we prioritised. We had to answer: is the new platform better or worse for SEO, and how can we ensure SEO equity was preserved.
• Demo builds on two shortlisted platforms were tested for URL control, redirect rules, metadata access, page‑speed performance, mobile friendliness, and analytics integration. The findings fed directly into the client’s platform scorecard. - Export and safeguard content & metadata
Every title tag, meta description, alt attribute, and internal link was exported. These will be migrated to the new CMS. - Prepare a redirect strategy
We strategised a 301‑redirect plan to preserve backlink equity and minimise crawl errors. - Design an analytics setup that spans multiple properties
We recommended a single GA4 property with separate data streams for the root domain, subdomains, and blog, ensuring seamless cross‑domain tracking once the new platform goes live.
What we delivered in this discovery phase
- 30‑page (4,500‑word) migration blueprint covering audit findings, platform comparison, content‑preservation steps, and pre‑launch recommendations
- 22 supporting data files including metadata exports, backlink lists, and high‑performing URL reports
- Live consultation session with stakeholders to walk through key risks, opportunities, and next actions
This documentation provides a clear, data‑driven foundation for decision‑making as the migration project moves into build and implementation.
Why this matters
For organisations that rely on organic search, the question isn’t whether SEO should be part of a migration – it’s how early you bring it in. Careful planning reduces post‑launch volatility, protects revenue, and positions the site for future growth on a stronger, more flexible platform.
Planning a migration of your own?
Loop your SEO team in from day one. If you’d like a second opinion on your plans, book a consultation and we’ll highlight SEO risks before they become problems.