SEO-First Shopify migration for Skinstation
Our client Skinstation is the leading destination for aesthetic skincare in the UK.
Their expert-led, science-backed products are designed to support customers on their journey to healthier skin.
This case study shows the SEO led approach we took to minimise traffic and revenue risk during a full Shopify platform migration, protecting existing organic equity and laying the foundations for future growth.
CHALLENGE
Skinstation was preparing for a full migration to Shopify, introducing significant changes to URL structures, navigation, templates, and content layouts.
As a brand with strong reliance on organic search, this created a clear commercial risk of lost rankings, traffic, and revenue following launch.
The challenge was to ensure SEO was embedded into the migration process to protect performance while enabling platform and UX improvements.
STRATEGY
We implemented an SEO-first migration framework built around three core principles:
Protect
Establish clear pre-migration benchmarks and ongoing monitoring to safeguard organic performance.
Optimise
Provide technical and structural oversight throughout the build, guiding decisions around site architecture, navigation, and URL structures.
Preserve & Enhance Ensure existing SEO value was carried forward through careful content review, standardisation, and optimisation across the site.
IMPLEMENTATION
Benchmarking & Monitoring
- Full technical health benchmarking of the existing website
- Website speed and performance checks
- Google Search Console diagnostics
- Baseline tracking for organic rankings, traffic, and revenue
- Daily monitoring throughout the migration phase
A final snapshot was taken immediately before go-live to lock in the pre-launch benchmark.
Technical SEO & Platform Governance
- Ongoing technical oversight during the Shopify build
- Regular checks across development and staging environments
- Navigation and crawl-path reviews to prevent structural issues
- Early identification and resolution of SEO risks before launch
URL Structure & Site Architecture
- Shopify URL structures reviewed and optimised using keyword and performance data
- Ensured high-value legacy pages were preserved
- Anticipated and managed short-term fluctuations caused by new URLs and design changes
SEO Input into Design & UX
- SEO feedback provided during wireframing and Figma design stages
- Close collaboration with internal teams via regular calls
- Protection of key SEO elements such as FAQs, supporting content, and below-the-fold sections
This ensured the new Shopify site improved user experience without sacrificing organic visibility.
Content Review & Optimisation
- Site-wide content review to ensure consistency and SEO alignment
- Standardisation and optimisation of key page types
- Protection of long-tail organic value during migration
RESULTS
- Organic performance risk significantly reduced during migration
- Existing SEO equity protected throughout platform change
- Shopify launched with stronger technical and structural foundations
- Clear measurement framework established to track post-launch impact
EXPLORE MORE CASE STUDIES
Get in touch
Latest Blogs & Articles
-
Google AI Overviews: Why Impressions Are Up but Clicks Are Down
Google AI Overviews are changing how organic search works. Here at Honcho, we are watching how these changes are reshaping SEO reporting and performance measurement...Read Article → -
Are There Ads in ChatGPT? Here’s What’s Being Tested
If you’ve opened ChatGPT recently and noticed something like “Testing ads in ChatGPT”, it probably made you pause. Not because anyone loves adverts, but because...Read Article → -
Google Search Console Update: AI Powered Configuration in the Performance Report
Google has introduced a new experimental feature inside Google Search Console that could make organic search traffic analysis much quicker for marketers and in house teams....Read Article → -
Google AI Mode Ads: What Direct Offers Mean for Retailers
Google is quietly moving closer to what every retailer wants, and what every ecommerce team fears: fewer steps between interest and purchase. Direct Offers, now...Read Article → -
PR in the Age of Agentic Commerce, What Still Wins When AI Recommends the Products?
“When the technical playing field is even, your brand, how you show up and what people say about you will be the difference.”-James Roach, Head...Read Article → -
SEO Readiness for Agentic Commerce, From Discoverability to Actionability
“It’s no longer enough for your content to rank, it needs to be structured in a way that an AI agent can understand and act...Read Article →
