Case Study

From a Costly Wix Website to Page-One Visibility in Johannesburg

Client: Dr HR Schneider – Gastroenterologist
Location: Parktown, Johannesburg
Industry: Specialist Medical Practice
Platform Migration: Wix → WordPress

The Starting Point: High Cost, Low Control, Poor Performance

Dr HR Schneider already had an online presence, but the existing website was actively limiting growth this is when they approced new perspective design to tr y and assit .

The site was built on Wix, which created several structural problems:

• The website was outdated and not properly mobile-optimised

• Advanced functionality (structured content, booking logic, SEO control) was restricted by the platform

• Analytics, email accounts, and basic growth tools were locked behind paid add-ons

• Total annual platform cost exceeded R12,000 per year

• Content lived in a flat structure with no topical or geographic clarity

Despite the spend, the site had no meaningful search visibility and no scalable foundation.

Strategic Call: Rebuild the Foundation, Not the Symptoms

Rather than applying surface fixes, we recommended a full migration and rebuild on WordPress.

This decision was based on long-term outcomes:

• Full ownership of content, SEO, and data

• No platform-imposed ceilings

• Ability to implement medical-grade EEAT signals

• A structure that could compete in a Johannesburg search environment

What We Implemented

1. Platform Migration: Wix → WordPress

We rebuilt the site from the ground up on WordPress, removing all SaaS platform dependencies.

Key outcomes:

• Faster load times

• Full analytics control

• No forced feature upgrades

• Significantly lower annual operating cost

This immediately removed the structural limitations holding the site back.

2. Complete Site Architecture Redesign (SEO Silo Model)

We didn’t just redesign the site visually — we restructured the information architecture.

The site was rebuilt using a clear SEO silo strategy, where:

• Core gastroenterology services are separated and clearly defined

• Supporting content reinforces topical authority

• Internal linking reflects medical relevance

• Users and search engines can clearly understand what the practice specialises in and where it operates

This is critical for medical EEAT — clarity and structure directly affect trust and visibility.

3. Advanced Booking & User Experience Logic

We implemented booking functionality suitable for a specialist medical practice, focusing on:

• Reducing patient friction

• Clear appointment intent

• Mobile-first usability

• Performance and reliability

The result is a system that works for real patients — not just a visual layer.

4. Foundational SEO (Built Into the Site)

SEO was integrated into the build itself, not added later.

This included:

• Johannesburg-specific website design and intent targeting

• Clean URL and heading structures

• Optimised metadata

• Logical internal linking

• Performance optimisation aligned with Core Web Vitals

No shortcuts. No plugins doing guesswork. Just correct technical execution.

Measured Results (Google Search Console Data)

Period Compared:

• Previous 3 months vs Latest 3 months

• Source: Google Search Console (client-provided)

Performance Improvements

• Total Clicks:
  Increased from 85 → 342
  (~302% increase)

• Total Impressions:
  Increased from 2.12K → 6.89K
  (More than 3× visibility growth)

• Average CTR:
  Improved from 4% → 5%

• Average Position:
  Improved from 33.9 → 12.9
  (Shift from deep page-three results to page-one / page-two visibility)

During a follow-up call, Sarah from Dr HR Schneider’s practice confirmed that the increased visibility has contributed to the practice now operating with a waiting list and an active cancellation list. 

Real-World Outcome: Johannesburg Search Visibility

As a direct result of the rebuild and SEO foundation, the site now ranks strongly for high-intent Johannesburg searches, including:

“best gastroenterologist in Johannesburg”

Insert live SERP screenshot here showing Dr HR Schneider ranking

This is a competitive medical search term — the kind that only surfaces sites with:

• Clear topical authority

• Geographic relevance

• Strong technical foundations

• Trust signals aligned with EEAT

Key Takeaway

A website is not a brochure.
And SEO is not a plugin.

For specialist businesses — especially in competitive cities like Johannesburg — results come from engineering the system correctly from day one.