// CASE STUDY — UPSOUL.COM.AU
We Rebuilt Our Own Website.
Here's the Data.
Before we build websites for clients, we do it for ourselves. This page documents the move from a React/Vite site to Astro — what broke, what improved, and what the numbers look like now.
Last updated: 8 June 2026 · This page is updated as new data comes in.
// SPECIAL OFFER — LIMITED TIME
Free 5-page website build when you sign up to any plan.
This offer could end any day. No coupon needed — mention it on your call.
// THE OLD SITE
The Old Site: React + Vite
The previous upsoul.com.au ran on a React + Vite stack. It looked fine on screen. Under the hood, it had a fundamental problem: it shipped almost no HTML.
THE PROBLEM FOR PERFORMANCE
React renders pages in the browser using JavaScript. Every visitor downloads the JS bundle, runs it, and then sees content. Slow on first load, especially on mobile. Google measures this — and penalises it.
THE PROBLEM FOR SEO
When a search bot crawls a React site, it hits an almost-empty HTML shell. The content it needs to index is locked inside JavaScript that most bots don't execute. The result: pages that exist but don't rank.
PAGESPEED INSIGHTS — BEFORE (React/Vite)
45
PERFORMANCE
95
ACCESSIBILITY
95
BEST PRACTICES
84
SEO
// THE DECISION
Why We Moved to Astro + Cloudflare
We didn't want a website builder. We wanted full ownership of the codebase — something we could version-control, deploy instantly, and hand to a client as proof that the stack works.
Astro — ships zero JavaScript by default
Every page renders to static HTML. Bots can read it. Browsers load it instantly. JavaScript is added only where it's genuinely needed.
Cloudflare Workers — edge-deployed globally
The site runs at the network edge, not in one data centre. Fast everywhere. Zero cold starts. Free SSL, DDoS protection, and a 99.9%+ uptime SLA built in.
GitHub — version-controlled, auditable
Every change is tracked. Every deployment is a commit. We can roll back anything in seconds, and every edit is documented with a reason.
AI-assisted development — speed without cutting corners
We used AI coding tools to build faster. Every line was reviewed by a human. The result is clean code that we understand, own, and can maintain — not a black box.
// THE NEW SITE
The New Site: Astro on Cloudflare
Launched 8 June 2026. PageSpeed scores measured on day one against the live domain.
PAGESPEED INSIGHTS — AFTER (Astro + Cloudflare)
93
PERFORMANCE
95
ACCESSIBILITY
100
BEST PRACTICES
100
SEO
SCREENSHOT — GOOGLE PAGESPEED INSIGHTS
upsoul.com.au · 8 June 2026
BEFORE → AFTER COMPARISON
| METRIC | BEFORE | AFTER | CHANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | 45 | 93 | +48 |
| Accessibility | 95 | 95 | — |
| Best Practices | 95 | 100 | +5 |
| SEO | 84 | 100 | +16 |
// TIMELINE
This Page Updates as Data Comes In
Indexing takes weeks. Rankings take months. We document each milestone honestly — the ugly baseline included. Come back here to see what's changed.
Site launched on Astro + Cloudflare
New Astro site deployed to Cloudflare Workers. PageSpeed 93/95/100/100 measured on day one. Sitemap submitted to Google Search Console. Indexing requests sent for all 25 published pages.
SEARCH PERFORMANCE — 7 MAR TO 8 JUN 2026
Three months of search data from the old React/Vite site. No keyword research, no SEO strategy, no structured content. This is the floor we're building from.
INDEXING STATUS — AS OF LAUNCH
42
NOT INDEXED
10
INDEXED
42 of 52 pages on the old site were not indexed by Google — no sitemap, no indexing requests, no SEO-friendly HTML for bots to read. The new site launched with a sitemap and immediate indexing requests.
INDEXING ERRORS — MONTHS OF NOTIFICATIONS
Google Search Console had been flagging indexing issues for months on the old site. Most errors traced back to the React/Vite architecture — bots couldn't reliably parse pages that were rendered in JavaScript rather than shipped as HTML.
These notifications kept coming because the underlying problem was never fixed — it was baked into the framework choice. Switching to Astro removes the root cause entirely.
What we did on day one
- → Submitted sitemap to Google Search Console
- → Requested indexing for all 25 published pages
- → Submitted sitemap to Bing Webmaster Tools
- → robots.txt open to all crawlers including AI bots
- → JSON-LD structured data on every page
First indexing update
We'll report how many pages are now indexed, whether impressions have started moving, and what the early keyword data looks like.
Three-month search performance
First meaningful look at clicks, impressions, and keyword rankings. This is where SEO work starts showing up in the numbers.
// WHY THIS MATTERS FOR YOU
We Do This to Our Own Site First
We're not selling a theory. Every decision on this site — the framework, the hosting, the content strategy, the indexing process — is the same one we make for clients. You're looking at the product.
Astro framework — the same stack we build every client site on. Ships clean HTML, ranks better, loads faster.
Cloudflare Workers — edge-deployed, fast everywhere in Australia, free SSL included.
GitHub version control — every change tracked, every deployment auditable. No cowboy edits.
Real keyword research + documented SEO strategy — not guessing, not generic. Every page has a target and a reason.
// PRICING
Simple, Transparent Pricing
All prices in AUD. No hidden fees. No lock-in contracts beyond 30 days notice.
STARTER
A properly built, SEO-optimised website — then we hand it over. No ongoing content or monitoring.
- ✓ Business interview — we understand your market, customers, and keywords before writing a word
- ✓ SEO-optimised website — real keyword research, proper on-page structure, not just a pretty template
- ✓ Submitted to Google Search Console so Google finds you from day one
- ✓ CRM set up and connected to your forms and calendar
- ✓ Automated lead capture — every enquiry flows into your CRM
- ✓ Hosting + technical maintenance — nothing breaks
- ✓ Up to 3 edits per month (copy, images, service updates)
- — No ongoing SEO content or ranking monitoring
GROWTH
Everything in Starter, plus active ongoing SEO — content, ranking management, and monthly reporting.
- ✓ Everything in Starter
- ✓ 2 SEO blog posts per month — researched, written, reviewed, published
- ✓ Keyword strategy built around your market and customers
- ✓ Google Search Console + GA4 managed for you
- ✓ Monthly ranking report — you always know where you stand
- ✓ Quarterly strategy review
WEBSITE BUILD
Custom website — scoped per project, any size
ADDITIONAL PAGE
Extra service or landing page for existing clients — keyword-targeted, SEO-optimised
$497 AUD
GBP SETUP + OPTIMISATION — ADD-ON
Google Business Profile claimed, fully optimised, categories set, services + photos added, Q&A seeded. One-off per location.
$500 AUD
GBP MONTHLY MANAGEMENT — ADD-ON
Weekly posts, photo uploads, review replies, Q&A management, and a monthly performance report. Per location.
$500 AUD/mo
Cancel anytime with 30 days written notice. All prices in Australian dollars, GST not included.
Not sure what you need?
Use the pricing calculator to build your estimate — website build, monthly plan, GBP add-ons, all in one total.
// WANT THIS FOR YOUR BUSINESS?
The Same Stack, Built for Your Business
We'll review your current site, check your local keywords, and show you what's possible — no obligation.