Case study
Strelis (formerly Rehab Essentials) sells physical and occupational therapy education programs to universities, then helps those universities recruit students. We rebuilt its web platform as one WordPress multisite network, kept all of its search authority through the move, and structured its content to be found and quoted by AI answer engines.
The client
Strelis is a healthcare education provider serving 50+ university partners. It sells programs to universities, where presidents, deans and program directors decide on a high-value partnership. Then it helps those universities recruit students.
The website had to win both conversations, keep its search visibility through a platform change, and stay findable as buyers move from search engines to AI assistants.
Programs on the network: enTandem DPT (hybrid, CAPTE-aligned), transitional DPT and post-professional OTD, and University Licensing Select.
“They’re hands-on problem solvers who jump right in when we face technical challenges. Their work is consistently reliable.”
Cheryl CassalyChief Marketing Officer, Strelis (formerly Rehab Essentials)The challenge
Audience
University leaders weigh a high-value partnership. Prospective students want to know how to apply. The site had to serve both without muddling either.
Platform
The old setup couldn’t launch partner sites quickly, and hard-coded widgets made simple text changes a developer job. Replacing it put search rankings at risk.
Discovery
Buyers now ask ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews. A page-one ranking alone no longer meant being found.
What we did
Platform
Search + AI
Leads
Backend
Rehab Essentials screens show the website before its rebrand to Strelis.
Tools we built
We built and maintain over a dozen custom WordPress multisite plugins for Strelis, formerly Rehab Essentials. Each was built around their specific needs, from page building and management to program details and shared content. Pages display content dynamically based on the URL. See the custom menu below, followed by tool examples drawn with sample data to keep their information private.
Inside the custom backend
Over a dozen custom WordPress multisite plugins, built and maintained by our team for their specific needs. These are the custom controls their team uses to manage the network.
Swift Tools
Custom tools bring key dates, requirements, tuition, course sequences, benefits and shared content into one menu. Pages display content dynamically based on the URL, so the team can manage information without editing each page separately.
Credits, cost and terms for each program sit in one table. Their team duplicates a program to start the next one, and imports or exports the list as a spreadsheet.
Their team turns on a banner for every page and sets its words, link and colors. When the words change, visitors who closed the old banner see the new one.
20+ ready-made blog blocks, such as tip boxes, checklists, steps and FAQs. Their writers insert one with a click, and every post keeps the same look.
Pillar pages and topic clusters organize their content for search. Short answer capsules give ChatGPT and Copilot a clear answer to quote. We track 115+ high-intent keywords.
What changed
100%
The full platform move, finished in December 2025, kept all of the search authority Rehab Essentials had built (the company is now Strelis). A site move is where sites most often lose rankings. This one didn’t.
~3 days
The University of Montana site (umt-rehabessentials.com) runs on our reusable partner-site system. New university partners can launch from the same foundation in about 3 days, down from 2–3 months.
115+
Tracking now covers 115+ high-intent terms, with top visibility in search engines and AI answer engines.
The takeaway
If you sell to institutions and recruit their people too, your website has two jobs. Build it as one system: a shared platform, pages written for each audience, and content structured for AI to quote.
And when you change platforms, protect your search history first. Rankings are slow to earn and quick to lose.
Get started
A website, a custom system, or a full project brief. Tell Chris and Wade what you need, and we’ll work out the next step together.
Project inquiries get a reply within one business day. Exploring first? Start with the free website check.
Rather talk? Call us at 412.756.6656. Pittsburgh, PA.
