Launching a new website is an exciting milestone for any business. You’ve spent weeks (or months) perfecting the design, writing the copy, and testing the features. But hitting “publish” is just the beginning. The biggest challenge for a new website isn’t functioning correctly—it’s being found.
Without Search Engine Optimization (SEO), even the most beautiful website is like a billboard in the middle of the desert. To help you get discovered by your ideal customers, we’ve put together the ultimate SEO checklist for new websites.
Follow these steps to build a solid foundation that Google (and your visitors) will love.
1. The Technical Foundation
Before you worry about keywords, you need to ensure your site is technically sound.
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Install an SSL Certificate: Ensure your site loads with
https://. Google penalizes insecure sites, and users won’t trust you without that little padlock icon. -
Ensure Mobile-Friendliness: Google uses “mobile-first indexing.” Test your site on your phone. If it’s hard to use, you won’t rank.
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Check Site Speed: Use Google PageSpeed Insights. If your site takes more than 3 seconds to load, you are losing visitors. Optimize your images and use good hosting.
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Create a Sitemap: Generate an XML sitemap (easy to do with plugins like Yoast or RankMath) to help search engines understand your site structure.
2. Setup & Tracking
You can’t improve what you don’t measure.
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Set Up Google Search Console (GSC): This is non-negotiable. GSC tells you how Google sees your site, alerts you to errors, and shows you what keywords you are ranking for.
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Install Google Analytics: This tracks who is visiting your site, where they come from, and what they do once they arrive.
3. On-Page Optimization
This is where you tell Google what your pages are actually about.
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Keyword Research: Don’t guess. Use tools to find what your customers are actually searching for. Pick one primary keyword per page.
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Title Tags: This is the blue link text in search results. Keep it under 60 characters and include your primary keyword.
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Meta Descriptions: The short summary under the title. It doesn’t directly affect ranking, but a catchy description increases clicks.
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Header Tags (H1, H2, H3): Use one H1 per page (usually the title). Use H2s and H3s to break up text and include related keywords.
4. Content is King
Google ranks pages that provide value.
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Quality Content: Ensure your homepage and service pages answer user questions clearly. Avoid “fluff.”
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Start a Blog: Regular, updated content signals to Google that your site is active. It also gives you more opportunities to rank for different keywords.
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Optimize Images: Rename image files (e.g.,
seo-services-london.jpginstead ofIMG_1234.jpg) and add Alt Text so Google understands what the image shows.
5. Local SEO (For Local Businesses)
If you have a physical location or serve a specific area:
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Claim Your Google Business Profile: This is essential for showing up in Google Maps. Fill it out completely with your address, hours, and photos.
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NAP Consistency: Ensure your Name, Address, and Phone number are exactly the same across your website, social media, and business directories.
Conclusion
SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. You likely won’t see results overnight, but by following this checklist, you are building a powerful asset that will drive free, organic traffic to your business for years to come.