A client that I was working with previously decided to launch a new site rendering all the old backlinks and indexed pages obsolete. Even the use of 301 redirects would not be able to save them. The biggest blunder I witnessed throughout the process was the client choosing the wrong CMS that no self serving SEO strategist would recommend.

At the risk of losing millions of visitors driven through natural search, the new website was launched. Their tech team was never able to replicate any SEO friendly scenario on a smaller scale. Unless your web business is a wall garden akin to Facebook, you cannot ignore basic SEO principles to maintain the old established natural traffic and expect the new website to perform at par or better.

Very much like the history behind Friendster, this unnamed client needs to address the basics before adding any bells and whistles. As the scenerio plays out in the coming months, a couple of key individuals will probably be on the chopping block followed by a 10-20% company layoff.