New Website SEO Launch Checklist
Essential SEO steps for a successful website launch, from pre-launch planning to post-launch monitoring and optimization.
Pre-Launch Phase: Foundation & Setup
Define Target Audience & Keywords
- Check[ ] Conduct thorough keyword research to identify primary and secondary keywords.
- Check[ ] Understand user intent behind target keywords.
- Check[ ] Create user personas.
- Check[ ] Map keywords to planned content/pages.
Website Structure & Planning
- Check[ ] Plan a logical, hierarchical site structure.
- Check[ ] Draft SEO-friendly URLs for all main pages.
- Check[ ] Plan internal linking strategy.
Content Creation (SEO-Focused)
- Check[ ] Develop high-quality, unique, and valuable content for core pages.
- Check[ ] Optimize all content with target keywords, proper headings (H1, H2, etc.), and readability.
- Check[ ] Craft compelling title tags and meta descriptions for each page.
Technical Readiness
- Check[ ] Choose SEO-Friendly CMS: Select a platform (WordPress, Shopify, etc.) that allows for SEO customization.
- Check[ ] HTTPS/SSL Certificate: Ensure SSL is installed and configured for HTTPS.
- Check[ ] Mobile Responsiveness: Confirm the website design is fully responsive across all devices.
- Check[ ] Page Speed Optimization: Implement initial speed optimizations (image compression, minification, caching).
- Check[ ] Custom 404 Page: Create a helpful custom 404 page.
- Check[ ] robots.txt File: Draft a robots.txt file (likely allowing all for launch, then refine).
- Check[ ] XML Sitemap Generation: Generate an XML sitemap (most CMS do this automatically).
Launch Day Phase: Going Live
Remove noindex Tags
- Check[ ] Crucially, ensure all noindex tags are removed from pages you want indexed.
- Check[ ] Check robots.txt again to ensure no accidental blocks.
Analytics & Tracking Setup
- Check[ ] Google Analytics (GA4): Install and verify the tracking code.
- Check[ ] Google Search Console (GSC): Verify website ownership.
- Check[ ] Bing Webmaster Tools: Verify website ownership.
Sitemap Submission
- Check[ ] Submit the XML sitemap to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.
Manual Indexing (Optional but Recommended)
- Check[ ] Request indexing of your homepage in Google Search Console's URL Inspection tool.
Initial External Signals
- Check[ ] Share the new website/content on social media platforms.
- Check[ ] Reach out to relevant industry contacts for initial mentions or links.
- Check[ ] If a local business, set up or optimize Google Business Profile.
Post-Launch Phase: Monitoring & Ongoing Optimization
Monitor Performance in GSC & GA
- Check[ ] Index Coverage: Regularly check GSC for indexing issues, crawl errors, or warnings.
- Check[ ] Performance Report: Monitor organic traffic, keyword rankings, and click-through rates.
- Check[ ] Core Web Vitals: Track and improve page speed metrics.
- Check[ ] User Behavior: Analyze bounce rate, time on page, and conversion rates in Google Analytics.
Content Expansion & Freshness
- Check[ ] Begin executing your content calendar.
- Check[ ] Continuously create and publish high-quality, relevant content.
- Check[ ] Update existing content to keep it fresh and accurate.
Link Building
- Check[ ] Develop a strategy for acquiring high-quality backlinks from authoritative and relevant websites.
- Check[ ] Focus on earning natural links through valuable content and outreach.
Technical Maintenance
- Check[ ] Regularly audit for broken links, redirect chains, and other technical issues.
- Check[ ] Ensure security updates are applied.
Competitor Analysis
- Check[ ] Continuously monitor competitors' SEO strategies and performance.
- Check[ ] Identify new keyword opportunities and content gaps.
Schema Markup Implementation
- Check[ ] As new content types are added, implement relevant schema markup.
Regular SEO Audits
- Check[ ] Perform monthly or quarterly SEO audits (see "Monthly SEO Audit Checklist").