Case Study: Malware removal from a Hacked WordPress Website

Complete Malware Removal, and Reindexing in Google of a Local Business Website in West London

In 2017, a local business with multiple outlets across West London, including Kensington, Acton, and Ladbroke Grove, approached us with a critical issue. Their WordPress website had been compromised by a recurring malware injection which was damaging their online presence, brand credibility, and search engine rankings. While the business already had some early visibility in local search results for these areas, the site’s security problems made it impossible to build on that momentum.

Key findings

The problems were severe and multi-layered:

  • Daily Spam Injections – The site was auto-publishing irrelevant blog posts in Chinese, Hindi, and English, many of which contained external links to unrelated websites.
  • 8,000+ Spam Pages Indexed – Google had crawled and indexed thousands of these injected pages, undermining the business’s domain authority.
  • Slow Loading Speeds – The website was taking over 10 seconds to load, leading to poor user experience and low engagement.
  • Failed Security Fixes – The site owner had tried resetting WordPress and database passwords several times, but the injections kept returning.
  • Local SEO at Risk – The client had some early presence in searches across Kensington, Acton, and Ladbroke Grove, but the compromised site prevented them from capturing valuable local traffic.
malware removal experts west london

Our Strategy

We designed a two-phase recovery and optimisation plan:

1. Website Security & Technical Clean-Up

  • Conducted a deep malware scan and removed malicious scripts, backdoors, and hidden cron jobs.
  • Strengthened security by restricting file permissions, adding a firewall, and enabling two-factor authentication.
  • Created Backups then Reinstalled WordPress core files, plugins, and themes with clean versions.

2. Google Index Recovery

  • Requested removal of spam URLs via Google Search Console.
  • Submitted a fresh XML sitemap to guide Google towards clean and relevant content.
  • Monitored indexation regularly to ensure no reinfection or residual spam content.

3. Performance Optimisation

  • Compressed images, minified CSS/JS files, and enabled caching.
  • Implemented a Content Delivery Network (CDN).
  • Improved load time from 10+ seconds down to under 3 seconds.

4. Local SEO Growth in West London

  • Conducted geo-specific keyword research targeting Kensington, Acton, and Ladbroke Grove.
  • Created optimised landing pages for each local area.
  • Improved the Google Business Profile with accurate business details and strong local citations.
  • Built backlinks from trusted local directories and niche industry sites.
  • Added Local Business schema markup for better visibility in local search results.

The Results

Within a few months, the business saw measurable and lasting improvements:

Website Security & Technical Clean-Up

  • Malware-Free Website – No reinfections after hardening the site.
  • Improved Local Rankings – Visibility for search queries in Kensington, Acton, and Ladbroke Grove increased significantly.
  • Website Speed Increased by 300% – Load times reduced to under 3 seconds.
  • Organic Traffic Growth – 175% rise in impressions and steady improvement in CTR.
  • 8,000+ Spam Pages Removed – Google de-indexed all compromised URLs.
  • Customer Trust Restored – With a secure, fast, and professional website, the business regained credibility and started generating more leads.

Key Takeaways

  • Security is the foundation of SEO – Without a secure site, even the best optimisation work will fail.
  • Local SEO thrives on precision – Location-based landing pages and targeted keywords deliver faster results in competitive areas like West London.
  • Technical clean-up drives long-term success – Removing malware, speeding up the site, and rebuilding indexation set the stage for organic growth.

Conclusion

This case study demonstrates how a damaged and hacked website can be transformed into a high-performing digital asset with the right blend of technical SEO expertise and local search optimisation.

By focusing on Kensington, Acton, and Ladbroke Grove, we were able to deliver quick wins in West London while building a sustainable foundation for long-term visibility and business growth.