A better website should keep the paths people already use.

Start with what exists

Export the current URLs before choosing a new structure. Include service pages, articles, campaign pages and useful older resources. Compare the inventory with your sitemap, analytics and Search Console. A page that looks dated may still answer a valuable question or receive relevant visits.

Give each URL a deliberate destination

Keep an existing address when the page still serves the same purpose. When an address must change, map it to the closest relevant replacement with a permanent redirect. Sending every retired page to the homepage is rarely a useful experience. Some content may deserve a real 404 or 410 instead.

Preserve the useful information

A shorter page is not automatically a better page. Keep accurate service details, questions, examples and contact information that help a visitor decide. Improve their presentation and remove outdated claims deliberately, rather than replacing the entire page with generic copy.

Check the signals before switching

Verify that canonical URLs, internal links, structured data and the sitemap use the intended production domain. Keep a review site out of search. Make removing preview-only noindex settings an explicit production step. Check the final HTML, not only the editor settings.

Test the enquiry, not just the button

Use an authorized test enquiry to confirm the CRM receives the details, the source is recorded and the team can see it. Check errors, phone layouts and booking availability. A success message in the browser is not proof that a lead arrived.

Watch what happens after launch

Review crawling, indexing, redirect errors and enquiry delivery after the move. Compare meaningful periods and account for seasonality. Search traffic can fluctuate even when a migration is handled carefully; an inventory and a baseline make problems easier to investigate.