How WIRED Built a Multi-Million Dollar WordPress Site Without Losing Its Core Audience

A technical breakdown of how WIRED's WordPress architecture handles massive traffic while driving revenue.

Our Speakers

Jeremy Fremont​

Director of Business Development​

Jeremy Fremont is a digital solutions expert with over 15 years of experience helping both Fortune 500 companies and emerging startups build and grow their online presence. His expertise lies in the intersection of technology, content & business processes, making him qualified to analyze industry trends and shifts. Jeremy’s background in web design, development & performance optimization for various platforms gives him valuable insights into the technical challenges faced by enterprise publishers. His passion for creating value through digital innovation and his experience in eCommerce and accessibility provide him with an understanding of the digital publishing landscape.

Vahe Arabian​

Founder and Editor in Chief​

Vahe Arabian is the founder of State of Digital Publishing, bringing over 15 years of expertise in digital media publishing and SEO to the table. As a seasoned consultant, Vahe specializes in helping publishers optimize their online platforms for improved performance, user engagement, and revenue growth. His data-driven approach to content strategy and SEO has assisted numerous enterprise-level publishers in navigating the ever-changing digital landscape. Vahe’s insights are informed by his deep understanding of sustainable business models for digital media and his hands-on experience with search engine optimization, information architecture, and editorial operations.

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Join Jeremy Fremont and Vahe Arabian as they unpack WIRED's WordPress success story. They examine how WIRED handles massive content scale, manages multiple revenue channels, and maintains site speed—all on WordPress. The hosts share actionable tips for enterprises looking to scale their WordPress sites without technical debt.

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Inside WIRED’s Strategy: Key Lessons for Digital Publishers

A guide for modern publishers building high-performance WordPress infrastructure that supports multiple revenue streams.

Smart Content Partitioning

WIRED uses separate WP installations to manage different content types, keeping their core business separate from affiliate content. Only 1,000 coupon pages out of 179,000 total pages maintain site authority.

Subscription Infrastructure

Custom implementation of subscription paywalls with prominent CTAs and varied offers like $5/year trials. Strategic placement of subscription elements optimized through extensive A/B testing.

Performance-Focused Architecture

Clean mobile navigation and optimized page load sequence. Strategic loading of subscription offers and content elements to maintain core web vitals scores.

Revenue Stream Management

Multiple monetization channels including subscriptions, affiliate revenue, and branded merchandise - all managed through dedicated WordPress sections without impacting core content performance.

SEO-Optimized Structure

Strategic URL structure avoiding dates in permalinks keeps content evergreen. Regular content updates, especially for product reviews, maintain search rankings and user value.

Technical Content Organization

Programmatic FAQ generation and internal linking structure for deal pages. Smart use of WordPress multisite capabilities to manage different content sections efficiently.