WordPress to Headless CMS: A Platform Migration Case Study

Impact Statement

A systematic 8-month platform modernization achieving 40% better Core Web Vitals, 60% faster publishing, and 25% organic traffic growth.

Overview

Complete modernization of legacy content management system serving 2M+ monthly users, focusing on performance, authoring experience, and SEO optimization. Led cross-functional team through 8-month systematic transformation from WordPress to modern headless architecture.

Key Outcomes

• 40% improvement in Core Web Vitals scores
• 60% reduction in content publishing time
• 25% increase in organic search traffic
• 90% reduction in deployment time

Technical Stack

• Frontend: Astro with static generation
• CMS: DatoCMS with structured content modeling
• Search: Typesense for enhanced search capabilities
• Database: Supabase for user data and analytics
• Styling: Tailwind CSS for consistent design system

Challenge Context

Legacy WordPress platform struggling with performance, complex authoring workflows, and scalability issues. Editorial team spending excessive time on technical tasks rather than content creation. Need for zero-downtime migration while preserving SEO equity.

Systematic Approach

1. Discovery & Analysis

• Comprehensive audit of existing content and workflows
• Performance baseline establishment with Core Web Vitals
• Editorial team workflow analysis and pain point identification
• SEO equity assessment and preservation planning

2. Architecture Design

• Selection of modern headless CMS with structured content modeling
• Static site generation strategy for optimal performance
• Content migration strategy with URL preservation
• Search architecture design with dedicated service

3. Incremental Implementation

• Parallel system development with continuous validation
• Phased content migration with automated testing
• Performance optimization through static generation
• Enhanced search capabilities with dedicated search service

4. Validation & Optimization

• Core Web Vitals monitoring and optimization
• Editorial workflow testing and refinement
• SEO impact measurement and adjustment
• Long-term maintenance planning and documentation

Business Impact

Successfully modernized platform serving 2M+ monthly users with significant improvements in performance, authoring experience, and technical maintainability. Editorial team now focuses on content strategy rather than technical workarounds, enabling higher content quality and publication velocity.

Lessons Learned

• Incremental migration reduces risk and maintains team confidence throughout transition
• Structured content models improve long-term maintainability and enable new capabilities
• Performance gains compound across user experience, SEO, and operational efficiency
• Modern tooling significantly improves both developer and editor experience