Case Study
Keap → GoHighLevel Migration for Membership Entrepreneur
A holistic platform migration that unified operations, cleaned up years of technical debt, and established scalable automations for monthly membership launches.
The Client
A membership entrepreneur running a thriving online education business with three pricing tiers, monthly enrollment windows, and an engaged community. After years on Keap, the platform had become a patchwork of workarounds, outdated campaigns, and a tagging system that made segmentation nearly impossible.
The goal: migrate to GoHighLevel without disrupting active campaigns, preserve years of contact history, and establish a clean foundation for the next phase of growth.
Challenges
What we were up against
Platform Split
Business operations fragmented across Keap, separate email tools, and manual spreadsheets. No single source of truth for contacts or campaigns.
Multiple Pricing Tiers
Three membership levels with different access rights, billing cycles, and communication flows—all requiring precise segmentation.
Monthly Launches
Recurring enrollment windows demanded repeatable campaigns, but legacy workflows were copy-pasted and prone to errors.
Tag Chaos
Years of accumulated tags with inconsistent naming, duplicates, and orphaned entries made segmentation unreliable.
Outdated Automations
Legacy sequences referenced old products, broken links, and contacts who had long since churned.
Solutions
How we solved each challenge
Campaign Rebuilds
Rebuilt all critical campaigns from scratch in GoHighLevel—welcome sequences, launch funnels, re-engagement flows, and win-back automations.
- Mapped existing Keap campaigns to GHL workflow builder
- Implemented conditional branching based on membership tier
- Added engagement triggers for opens, clicks, and replies
- Created reusable campaign templates for monthly launches
Tagging Cleanup & Taxonomy
Audited 400+ tags, consolidated duplicates, and established a clear naming convention for sustainable growth.
- Categorized tags: source, interest, tier, engagement, lifecycle
- Merged duplicate and near-duplicate tags
- Removed orphaned tags with zero contacts
- Documented taxonomy for team onboarding
Smart Lists & Segmentation
Rebuilt smart lists with proper filter logic so the right message hits the right audience every time.
- Active members by tier (Starter, Pro, Elite)
- Launch prospects vs. existing customers
- Engagement-based segments (hot, warm, cold)
- Churn-risk and win-back cohorts
Newsletter Migration
Transferred newsletter templates, rebuilt email sequences, and improved deliverability with proper domain authentication.
- Migrated 50+ email templates with brand consistency
- Set up DKIM, SPF, and DMARC for new sending domain
- Implemented engagement-based sending for list hygiene
- Created modular template blocks for faster content creation
Social Automations
Connected GoHighLevel social planner to automate content distribution across channels.
- Linked Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn accounts
- Built content calendar with recurring post templates
- Automated launch announcements across all platforms
- Set up social DM triggers for lead capture
Our Approach
Holistic strategy meets constant communication
Holistic Strategy
We didn't just move data—we rethought the entire marketing stack. Every campaign, tag, and automation was evaluated against current business goals, not legacy decisions.
Constant Communication
Weekly Loom updates, shared Notion workspace, and Slack channel for async questions. The client always knew exactly where we were in the migration.
Zero-Downtime Migration
Ran both systems in parallel during transition. Active sequences completed in Keap while new enrollments entered GHL workflows.
Documentation & Training
Delivered comprehensive SOPs, video walkthroughs, and a 1-on-1 training session so the team could confidently manage the new system.
Timeline
From audit to handoff
Week 1
Discovery & Audit
Full audit of Keap setup, tagging, campaigns, and integrations. Mapped migration plan.
Week 2
Tag Cleanup & Export
Consolidated tags, exported clean contact list with proper field mapping.
Weeks 3-4
GHL Setup & Campaigns
Built workflows, pipelines, smart lists, and email templates in GoHighLevel.
Week 5
Testing & Launch
End-to-end testing, soft launch to small segment, full cutover.
Week 6+
Optimization
Monitored deliverability, refined segments, handed off documentation.
Results
Measurable impact
1 Platform
Unified operations
60%
Fewer tags (400 → 160)
4 hrs
Launch prep (was 2 days)
15%
Higher open rates
0
Missed automations
“David didn't just migrate our data—he rebuilt our entire marketing infrastructure. The tagging cleanup alone saved us hours every launch. Communication was exceptional; I always knew exactly where we stood. Our monthly launches now take a fraction of the time, and everything just works.”
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Testimonial pending client approval
Key Takeaways
Platform migrations are strategy projects
Moving data is the easy part. The real value is in rethinking workflows and building for where the business is headed.
Clean data compounds
A proper tagging taxonomy and segmentation strategy pays dividends on every campaign, forever.
Communication prevents disasters
Weekly updates and async access meant no surprises. The client could focus on running their business.
Planning a platform migration?
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