ABOUT ME
I Fix the WordPress Problems That Survive the First Optimization Attempt.
I’m Barney Chastain — WordPress performance specialist, Minneapolis-based, 25+ years in web infrastructure. I work at the server level: SSH, MySQL, PHP configuration, and custom schema implementation. When a site has already been “optimized,” and the numbers still don’t move, that’s the work I do.
WordPress Since 2013 · 100+ Sites Built · 5.0 Rating · Top Rated on Upwork · 100% Job Success
SPECIALTIES
Server-Level Work That Actually Moves the Numbers
Core Web Vitals & PageSpeed
LCP, INP, CLS, TTFB — full CrUX and lab score analysis. Server-level optimization via SSH. Render-blocking resource elimination at the code level. Elementor-specific DOM and script optimization. Real user metrics, not just lab scores.
Technical SEO
Hand-coded JSON-LD schema — not plugin-generated. Crawl error diagnosis via server log analysis. RankMath Pro configuration. robots.txt and llms.txt for traditional and AI crawler control. .htaccess redirects and canonicalization.
WordPress Infrastructure
Migrations between hosts with zero downtime. Security hardening at the server and file-permission levels. Database optimization and PHP debugging. Staging environments and backup protocols. Ongoing maintenance with monthly reporting.
CLIENT RESULTS
Numbers, Not Promises
Corporate Services Site (2025)
47 hand-coded JSON-LD schemas deployed. SEMrush visibility up 25.6% in four months. 14 new top-3 keyword rankings. Site health improved from 88% to 99%. Zero schema validation errors.
E-Commerce Client (2024)
Domain authority from 0 to 36 in under a year. Google Ads CPC dropped from $163 to $0.30 — a 99.8% reduction in ad spend through organic visibility gains.
Nonprofit (2020–2025)
Inherited a site with zero domain authority. Audit found database timeouts, 300+ broken redirects, and an unparseable schema — none of which were addressed by the previous agency. Fixed all three. Result: 400%+ organic traffic increase, DA 0 to 25 over four years.
BACKGROUND
How I Got Here
Born in the Panama Canal Zone, raised in Wisconsin. I spent years in corporate IT before going independent, focusing on WordPress in 2013. I’ve migrated, rebuilt, or rescued sites on Kinsta, WP Engine, SiteGround, A2, Liquid Web, cPanel, and WHM — from managed WordPress hosting to bare-metal server administration.
I led the Racine WordPress Meetup and have been deeply involved in the WordPress ecosystem for over a decade. My work now focuses on the technical layer that most agencies don’t touch: server configuration, database performance, and the kind of optimization that requires SSH access, not just a dashboard login.
I’ve invested heavily in building repeatable systems and automated workflows for every stage of my process — from audits to monitoring, reporting, and deployments. That’s how one person consistently delivers faster and more thoroughly than most small agencies.
CLIENT RESULTS
I’m the Right Fit If…
- ✓ You’ve been paying someone to manage your website, and you’re not sure what you’re getting for it.
- ✓ Your site has Core Web Vitals failures or PageSpeed scores that survived a previous optimization attempt.
- ✓ You’ve hired someone for this before and got a report instead of results.
- ✓ Your site runs Elementor, and performance is degrading as the content grows.
- ✓ You need someone with server access, not just dashboard access.
- ✓ Your budget is $1,000–$5,000 for project work, or you’re looking for ongoing monthly maintenance.
- ✓ You want to work directly with the person who does the work – not a project manager, not a support queue.
WordPress only. I’m not the right fit for Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, or basic plugin updates.
TESTIMONIAL
“Barney was without a doubt the most professional, knowledgeable, thorough, and incredibly easy person to work with. He knew technical SEO more than anyone else I’ve ever spoken with.”
— Upwork Client, WordPress Performance & Technical SEO Project (2025–2026)
IN MY PERSONAL TIME
When I’m not working on client sites, I’m out in nature photographing lichen and fungi, or exploring the Twin Cities with my wife. I keep my client list small on purpose: every site gets my full attention, not a junior dev’s.
Ready to Stop Guessing and Start Growing?
Schedule a free 30-minute discovery call. I’ll take a look at your site beforehand so I can skip the small talk and get straight to what matters — what’s broken, what’s working, and what to do next.
No contracts. No obligations. Just a straightforward conversation about your website.