Improve WordPress performance and security.

We’re seeking a senior WordPress performance and security expert with proven experience managing SiteGround-hosted environments. The goal is to harden security, optimise performance, and correct bot traffic issues without risking legitimate search indexing.
Website: https://artdecoco.com.au

Please provide a short assessment, fixed price quote and timeline.

Scope of Work:
1. Security & Access Control
• Implement accurate geo-blocking or traffic filtering to allow Australia-only access, while preserving legitimate Google and Bing crawl activity.
• Investigate and resolve an existing Bing bot block in .htaccess (previously added due to inflated page views).
o Configure proper user-agent and IP validation so only verified Bingbot and Googlebot traffic is allowed.
• Conduct a full security audit, including:
o User accounts and roles
o Database autoloaded options
o Cron jobs / scheduled tasks
o Theme and plugin file integrity
o Any suspicious or redundant code/scripts
• Recommend and implement additional hardening as required.
2. Performance Optimisation
• Current scores: ~2s mobile load time (good) and ~6s desktop load time (poor).
• Objective: bring desktop load time under 3 seconds without compromising design fidelity.
• Review and optimise:
o SG Optimizer configuration
o CDN and caching layers
o JavaScript/CSS rendering and deferral
o Image delivery and compression
o Database and plugin efficiency
• Provide before-and-after performance reports (PageSpeed Insights + GTmetrix).
3. Reporting & Documentation
• Deliver a detailed report summarising:
o Actions taken and rationale
o Current vs improved performance metrics
o Ongoing maintenance recommendations
• Confirm proper indexing status and normal crawl behaviour post-changes.
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Requirements:
• Proven record with SiteGround hosting, SG Optimizer, and CDN tuning.
• Demonstrated expertise in bot traffic control, .htaccess configuration, and user-agent validation.
• Excellent reputation with verifiable 5-star client reviews on similar projects.