Website Performance Maintenance — Ahrefs Score Improvement
Overview
During an internal sync on January 22, Mark Hope identified and resolved significant backend performance issues across multiple client websites, including Doodla (also referenced as Adulla/Doudlah Farms). Doodla's Ahrefs quality score improved from approximately 40 to 80 following targeted fixes. Further improvement is expected as Cloudflare configuration changes propagate.
This work was part of a broader initiative to address backend neglect across the agency's managed WordPress sites. See [1] for the general pattern observed across clients.
Problem
Doodla's site was exhibiting poor backend performance, including:
- Low Ahrefs quality score: ~40 at the time of intervention
- High database query counts: Sites across the portfolio were seeing hundreds of simultaneous queries where dozens would be expected
- Bot traffic: Unmitigated bot traffic was overwhelming servers, causing 502 errors and degraded performance
- Plugin and database issues: Accumulated technical debt from frontend-focused maintenance without corresponding backend upkeep
Mark's diagnosis: "We've taken good care of the front end of these websites… but we haven't been taking good care of the back end."
Work Performed
| Area | Action Taken |
|---|---|
| Cloudflare | Updated configuration to block bot traffic and improve cache hit rates |
| Database | Cleaned up database errors and optimized queries |
| Plugin issues | Identified and resolved plugin conflicts contributing to error load |
| Monitoring | Used Query Monitor and WP Engine performance dashboards to validate fixes |
Results
| Metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Ahrefs Quality Score | ~40 | 80 (and improving) |
| Bot traffic | Unmitigated | Blocked via Cloudflare |
| Database queries | Elevated | Reduced; ongoing improvement expected |
Mark's target is to bring all client sites above an Ahrefs score of 80 before returning for polish passes.
Related Client Work (Same Session)
For context, Crazy Lenny's was also addressed in the same maintenance push and reached a score of 100 (up from 89). See [2] for that client's record.
Client Communication Guidance
When reporting this work to the client, frame it as proactive maintenance, not remediation of past neglect:
"We've been doing some deep maintenance on your website. Your Ahrefs quality score is now at 80 and continuing to improve — we've updated your Cloudflare configuration and cleaned up some backend database issues."
Avoid language that implies the site was previously broken or poorly managed.
Action Items
- [x] Mark performed Cloudflare and database fixes (completed prior to sync)
- [ ] Mark to send Karly a maintenance report summary for client-facing communication (@Mark Hope)
Related
- [3] — Client index
- [2] — Parallel maintenance work, same session
- [1] — Agency-wide pattern
- [4] — Source meeting