Dertour: Speed of execution rebuilding SEO after a faulty migration

The Challenge

The biggest challenge was a faulty migration the site had previously gone through. We had to backtrack and understand the rules used during that migration so we could solve the problem of 404 pages and pages that had traffic pre-migration but were now all redirected to the homepage.

• Recover from a faulty prior migration
• Reverse-engineer the migration rules that caused the damage
• Fix 404 pages and reroute pages that had been blanket-redirected to the homepage
• Rebuild non-branded SEO traffic lost in the process
• Translate recovered traffic into actual revenue, in a seasonal tourism niche
• Move fast — speed of execution was the strategic edge

Our Approach

We analyzed the types of searches users perform and built specific landing pages for each search type. In this niche we have to account for seasonality, so we created 2 or more landing pages for most destinations.

1. Search-intent mapping: identified the main search types and matched each to a dedicated landing page.
2. Seasonality coverage: 2+ landing pages per destination to capture demand across seasons.
3. Funnel-optimized SEO structures: not just designed to rank, but to drive engagement and conversions through a logically structured user funnel.
4. Natural navigation flow where each section guides the user one step closer to booking.
5. Speed of execution: multiple pages launched and optimized within a short timeframe.