Forbes Solicitors

Forbes Solicitors, a nationally recognised UK law firm, faced the critical task of migrating their website without jeopardising search engine performance. With organic visibility playing a key role in driving enquiries and conversions, even a temporary dip in rankings or traffic could have real commercial consequences.

The challenge was multi-layered. The existing site was weighed down by legacy SEO issues, including fragmented content, inconsistent metadata, and keyword cannibalisation. The structure made it difficult for users to navigate and for search engines to crawl efficiently. Alongside these technical demands, the project required collaboration with multiple stakeholders across different teams, each with their own priorities, sign-off processes, and timelines. Delays were a risk, and so was misalignment.

At its core, the project demanded a seamless transition that preserved business-critical metrics, resolved long-standing SEO inefficiencies, and laid a future-ready foundation – all without disrupting day-to-day operations or digital performance.

Our first priority was to establish a migration strategy that aligned with Forbes’ business goals while addressing the technical and operational risks upfront.
We began with a comprehensive technical and content audit to identify high-priority pages, traffic-driving keywords, and areas of cannibalisation. This allowed us to map out a migration path that would preserve SEO equity while consolidating redundant content.

Recognising the potential for project inertia due to external dependencies, we prioritised stakeholder enablement early. We created clear documentation, introduced structured content templates, and ran educational sessions with decision-makers to demystify SEO principles. This ensured faster sign-offs, reduced ambiguity, and enabled the project team to move at pace without compromising quality.

Critically, our plan was built to be flexible. We expected challenges – particularly with redirect mapping and content alignment – and factored in room to adapt. Regular communication loops with the Forbes team helped keep momentum, surface blockers early, and maintain alignment on the migration’s technical and commercial objectives.

Execution began with meticulous redirect planning. We mapped out 301s from legacy URLs to new destinations with surgical precision, preserving link equity and ensuring that high-performing pages retained their visibility in search.

The site architecture was redesigned to improve crawl efficiency and user navigation. Key pages were consolidated, duplicate or outdated content was removed, and core service areas were restructured to reflect how users actually search. Internal linking was strengthened to support conversion journeys and guide users more intuitively through the site.

On the technical side, we carried out extensive on-page optimisations: metadata clean-up, improved heading structures, and schema markup to aid search engines. We also overhauled internal linking logic to boost relevance and engagement signals.
Throughout the build and migration process, we worked hand-in-hand with Forbes’ internal stakeholders and their external content contributors. This collaborative approach helped us navigate delays, reduce miscommunication, and keep the project on track, even when timelines flexed.

From day one, success was defined by stability and sustained performance. There was no room for post-migration recovery periods; the transition had to be seamless. We measured outcomes across three key areas:

• Search visibility: Rankings for critical keywords and services needed to hold steady or improve.
• Organic traffic: The volume of relevant visitors had to be protected throughout and post-migration.
• Conversion performance: Lead generation and user engagement could not dip – in fact, optimisation efforts aimed to improve both.

We also tracked secondary indicators such as crawl efficiency, indexation rates, and bounce rates on restructured pages to monitor overall site health and usability.

The results confirmed the value of our strategy. Forbes Solicitors preserved their rankings and experienced a direct uplift in organic traffic post-migration. User journeys were clearer, content was more relevant to search intent, and engagement improved across key areas of the site.

Technical stability, coupled with a consolidated and more intentional content structure, allowed Forbes to maintain their digital authority in a highly competitive space. Conversion pathways became more efficient, reducing friction and improving lead generation.

Ultimately, the project demonstrated that website migrations don’t have to come with performance dips or ranking losses. With the right mix of technical rigour, stakeholder alignment, and SEO clarity, they can act as a launchpad, not just a maintenance job. Forbes came out of the migration stronger, faster, and better equipped for long-term organic growth.