WordPress to Ghost migration: how APAR.TV rescued its media with a full rebuild

Migrating a WordPress website to Ghost CMS: the APAR.TV story

Client: APAR.TV

[APAR.TV

APAR.TV sets out to uncover the most forward-looking ideas, people and projects happening right now — the ones that can guide us towards the future.

APAR.TVRrose Sélavy

](https://www.apar.tv/)

Industry: Online media and news
Services provided: WordPress to Ghost migration, SEO optimisation, monetisation strategy, CMS training

Client review of the WordPress to Ghost migration

[Google review of Abstract27 by Aurélien Atlan

★★★★★ “I want to commend the remarkable commitment and skill Jérémie Raude-Leroy showed in managing our cultural and predictive platform, APAR.TV. His responsiveness and the near-unmatched quality of his advice made for a lightning-fast transition of our infrastructure from WordPress to Ghost. Jérémie brilliantly orchestrated the migration of thousands of author accounts while resetting every one of our mailboxes. Through his expertise and professionalism, he not only met our expectations but exceeded them, delivering exemplary service. For all these reasons we offer our most sincere thanks and can say he deserves our trust, with our eyes closed.”

Google review of Abstract27 by Aurélien Atlan

](https://g.co/kgs/C8z5z6p)

Thinking about a website rebuild? Let's talk.

The challenge: a slow WordPress site and search rankings in free fall

The owner of APAR.TV was facing a critical situation with an ageing WordPress site:

Major technical problems

• Extremely slow WordPress site: load times over 4 seconds
• Declining organic search: a sharp drop in Google traffic
• Ad saturation: intrusive Google Ads degrading the reading experience
• 8,000+ articles: a massive content base that WordPress made hard to manage
• A sale on the cards: the owner was considering walking away from the project

Our solution: a WordPress to Ghost migration for a media site that performs

A technical migration with no downtime

We ran a complete, secure WordPress to Ghost migration using our own soft transition method:

• Beta site built in parallel: developed on apartv.abstract27.com while the WordPress site stayed live
• 8,000+ articles migrated with no loss of content or SEO metadata
• Full client validation: thorough testing of the beta before cutover
• Ultra-fast switchover: final cutover in under 5 minutes, with no interruption
• URLs preserved: existing SEO authority maintained through 301 redirects
• Technical optimisation: Ghost CMS delivering performance 5× better than WordPress

The sitemap showing the 8,000+ migrated articles alongside the list of redirects put in place

A smarter monetisation system

• Ad banner management: full control of ad slots with no performance penalty
• Premium subscription model: revenue diversified with exclusive content
• Built-in newsletter: a retention tool for 15,000+ subscribers
• Optimised user experience: the right balance between monetisation and reader satisfaction

Ghost CMS training and editorial autonomy

Collaborative publishing with Ghost CMS

• Advanced role system: Admin, Editor, Author and Contributor configured precisely so work can be delegated across an editorial team.
• Complete Ghost CMS training: tailored sessions for the APAR.TV team
• Optimised workflow: a streamlined, efficient publishing process
• Total autonomy: the team runs the outlet without outside help

Results of the WordPress to Ghost migration

Improved technical performance

• Load time: from over 4 seconds to under 2 seconds
• PageSpeed score: up from 35 to 95/100
• SEO: organic traffic recovered within 3 months
• Mobile experience: fully optimised across every device

Audience growth and engagement

• 15,000+ newsletter subscribers: a direct, high-performing communication channel
• Lower bounce rate: −40% thanks to better performance
• Pages per session: +65% engagement
• Session duration: +80% thanks to smoother browsing

Monetisation and profitability

• Optimised ad revenue: banners managed intelligently, with no performance cost
• Premium subscriptions: a new recurring revenue stream
• Improved CPM: +150% off the back of a better user experience
• Positive ROI: return on investment in under 6 months

Why our WordPress to Ghost migration method works

A risk-free transition for APAR.TV

• Zero downtime: the WordPress site stays live throughout the build phase
• Full testing up front: every feature validated on the beta version
• Instant cutover: final transition in under 5 minutes

Why choose Ghost CMS over WordPress for a media site?

Ghost vs WordPress: the technical case

• Native performance: Ghost is built specifically for publishing content
• SEO built in: search optimisation comes as standard
• Newsletter built in: no external plugins needed, unlike WordPress
• Stronger security: a far smaller attack surface than WordPress
• Simpler maintenance: no plugin update treadmill

Conclusion: Ghost CMS and the future of online media

The APAR.TV turnaround shows that migrating from WordPress to Ghost can rescue a media outlet in trouble. This WordPress to Ghost migration did more than fix critical technical problems — it opened up new room to grow.

At Abstract27 we specialise in WordPress to Ghost migrations for media outlets, blogs and content sites. Our experience lets media owners turn a slow WordPress platform into a fast, profitable Ghost site.

Considering a WordPress to Ghost migration for your own publication? Get in touch with Abstract27 to find out how we can turn your WordPress site into a modern, high-performing Ghost platform.