Contents:
- Don’t Launch Without Reading This
- Why SEO Needs to Be Part of Launch Day – Not An Afterthough
- Part 1: Before You Launch
- Keyword Research
- On-Page SEO
- Technical SEO
- Content
- Local SEO Set Up
- Part 2: After You Launch
- Set Up Google Search Console
- Set Up Google Analytics 4
- Start Building Links
- Keep Adding fresh Content
- Be Prepared To Play The Long SEO Game
- A Special Note If You’re Relaunching an Existing Website
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Ready To Launch
- Download SEO Launch Checklist
Don't Launch Without Reading This
You’ve worked hard on your new website. The design looks great, the copy is ready, and you’re itching to hit publish. But before you do – have you thought about SEO?
This isn’t about making things complicated. It’s about making sure all your hard work actually gets found online. Launching without SEO optimisation in place is a bit like opening a brand-new shop and forgetting to put a sign outside – you might be brilliant, but nobody will know you’re there.
Whether you’re launching for the very first time or giving an existing site a complete refresh, this SEO checklist guide walks you through everything you need to do – before and after launch.
Why SEO Needs to Be Part of Launch Day - Not An Afterthought
Here’s a question we get asked a lot: “Can I sort the SEO out after the site goes live?”
Technically, yes. In practice, it’s like trying to fit insulation into a house you’ve already plastered. It can be done, but it’s harder, messier, and more expensive, especially if you need a migration strategy from your current site to your new one.
Getting the SEO foundations and migration strategy right before launch means:
- Search engines can find and crawl your site from day one
- You don’t lose rankings if you’re relaunching an existing site
- Your content actually has a chance of ranking for the right searches
- You avoid having to redo expensive technical work later
The good news? Most of this isn’t complicated. It’s just a checklist – and we’ve written it for you.
Part 1: Before You Launch
Think of this as your pre-flight checklist. You wouldn’t want to take off without it.
Keyword Research
Know What Your Customers Are Actually Searching For
Before you write a single word of content, you need to understand what your potential customers are typing into Google. This is called keyword research, and it’s the foundation for all your content and outreach.
Ask yourself:
- What problems do my customers have that my business solves?
- What words would they use to search for my products or services?
- Are they searching locally (e.g. “plumber in Kettering”) or more broadly “plumbing services”)?
Page Tip: Free tools like Google’s own search bar (look at the ‘People also ask’ boxes and suggested searches at the bottom of results) are a great place to start. Or speak to us – keyword research is one of our specialities.
On-Page SEO
Telling Search Engines & AI What Each Page Is About
Every page on your website is an opportunity to rank for something, however it can be easy to get lost in the trenches of what you need to write about. On-page SEO is about making sure that search engines, AI platforms and your visitors all clearly understand what each page is about.
For each key page, before launch you should have:
- A Master spreadsheet – this should list every page on the website and the keywords or phrases it is tailored to. This helps to stop keyword cannibalism across the website.
- A unique title tag for each page – this is the clickable headline that appears in search results. Keep it under 60 characters and include your main keyword where applicable.
- A meta description for each page – the short summary under the title in Google. It doesn’t directly affect rankings, but it does affect whether people click. Aim for 150–160 characters and a USP if possible.
- Headings (H1, H2, H3) – structure your pages so they’re easy to read, and naturally include your keywords in these headings. This helps users, search engines and AI engines to use and cite your website.
- Original content – do not copy text from other websites if you can help it. Google rewards unique, useful content. There are exceptions to this rule but on the whole, if you can create original and unique content, you should.
- Images with alt text – every image should have a short description (alt text). This helps Google understand your images and improves accessibility.
- CTAs – every page needs a clear “next step” available above the fold. Good examples include “Start Free Trial”, “Free Demo” or even “Contact Us”.
Technical SEO
The Stuff Happening Under The Bonnet
Don’t be put off by the word ‘technical’. These are just sensible foundations that your developer (or your CMS) should be handling. Here’s what to check:
- HTTPS / SSL certificate – your site address should start with https:// not http://. This is a basic trust signal for Google and visitors alike. Most hosting packages include this.
- Mobile-friendly design – more than half of web searches happen on phones, tablets or other smart devices. Google primarily uses the mobile version of your site to decide rankings, and has done for the past 10 years. Check your site on your own phone before launching in terms of rendering, speed and functionality.
- Page speed – slow websites don’t perform as well as those which load faster, and in some cases can be penalised. Run your site through Google PageSpeed Insights (free tool) and fix any major issues before going live.
- Clean URL structure – keep URLs short, descriptive, and keyword-rich. E.g. co.uk/plumbing-services is better than yoursite.co.uk/?p=47.
- Valid robots.txt file – this tells search engines which pages they can and can’t crawl. Make sure it’s not accidentally blocking your important pages or bot (this happens more than you’d think!)
- XML sitemap – a file located at the root of your domain that lists all your pages, helping Google find and index them faster. Make sure this doesn’t contain pages you don’t want to be indexed, though.
Content
Quality Over Quantity, Every Time
You don’t need hundreds of pages to rank well. What you need is the right content, written for real people, that also tells search engines and AI engines what you do and where you do it.
Before launch, make sure:
- Your homepage clearly explains what you do, who you help and where you’re based (if relevant).
- Each service or product page is its own page – don’t cram everything onto one page. This is called Keyword Cannibalisation and a blocking factor to success.
- You have at least one clear Call to Action on every key page (e.g. ‘Get a Free Quote’, ‘Call Us Today’).
- Your content is written for humans first, search engines second – avoid what we call ‘keyword stuffing’ where the content contains a number of keywords but doesn’t serve any real purpose or meet any user needs.
Local SEO Set Up
Especially Important for Local Businesses
If you serve customers in a specific geographical area – whether that’s a town, county, or region – local SEO is non-negotiable.
- Set up (or claim) your Google Business Profile – this is what shows up in Google Maps and in the local pack of search results. It’s free and hugely powerful, especially if you update it regularly.
- Make sure your business name, address and phone number (NAP) are consistent everywhere online.
- Include your location naturally in your website content – not in a spammy way, but where it makes sense.
Part 2: After You Launch
Launched! Well done. Now the real SEO work begins. Don’t worry, it’s not as scary as it sounds!
Set Up Google Search Console
Google Search Console (GSC) is a free tool from Google that tells you how your site is performing in search. It’s essential, and it’s free.
With it, you can:
- See which search terms are bringing people to your site, and which are making “impressions” in Google search results.
- Spot technical errors that might be holding you back
- Submit your sitemap so Google indexes your pages faster
- Monitor your search rankings over time
Note: GSC shows Google metrics only. If you want to see metrics for other search engines, you’ll need to investigate their own tools such as Bing Webmaster Tools.
Set Up Google Analytics 4
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) shows you what’s happening once people land on your site – how many visitors you’re getting, where they’re coming from, how long they’re staying, and which pages are most popular. This data is gold when it comes to improving your SEO and your website over time.
Note: Unlike GSC, GA4 will show you the data for all sessions and users, not just from Google.
Start Building Links
Backlinks – links from other websites to yours – are one of the biggest ranking factors for search engines. Think of them as votes of confidence. The more reputable sites that link to you, the more Google trusts you.
Easy wins after launch:
- Submit your site to relevant business directories (e.g. Yell, Thomson Local, your local Chamber of Commerce)
- Ask suppliers or partners if they’d link to you
- Get listed on any industry association websites
- If you have a blog or news section, write useful content that others will naturally want to share and link to
- Use your social media channels to create unique content with backlinks, that can also be curated out to other publishing areas.
Keep Adding Fresh Content
Google loves websites that are regularly updated with unique and useful content. Putting a simple blog on the domain is one of the best ways to achieve this – even one new post a month makes a difference.
Good blog content ideas for a new website:
- Answers to questions your customers frequently ask
- Case studies or success stories
- Industry tips and guides relevant to your audience
- Local news or events if you’re a local business
- If you have a search box, collect data to identify content gaps and address them.
Be Prepared To Play The Long SEO Game
We’re going to be honest with you here: SEO doesn’t happen overnight. For a brand-new website, it typically takes 3–6 months before you start seeing meaningful results, especially in competitive areas. That’s not a reason not to do it – it’s just a reason to start now.
The businesses that do well in search are usually the ones who started laying the groundwork months or years ago. By reading this and taking action, you’re already ahead of a lot of your competitors.
A Special Note If You're Relaunching an Existing Website
If your website already has traffic and rankings, a relaunch can be risky if it’s not handled carefully. We’ve seen businesses lose significant search visibility simply because their relaunch wasn’t SEO-proofed with a cohesive migration strategy. Here’s what to look out for:
- Migration strategy with 301 redirects – if any URLs are changing (even slightly), you must set up redirects from the old URLs to the new ones. Without this, Google loses all the trust and authority built up on those pages and users will encounter 404 (page not found) errors in search results and through backlinks.
- Don’t delete pages that have traffic – check your historical Analytics data for at least the last 3 months before removing any pages. Even a modest amount of traffic is worth preserving.
- Preserve your existing title tags and meta descriptions initially, then improve them strategically.
- Do a crawl of the old site before the relaunch to document what exists and how best to handle each page.
Important: A poorly handled migration and relaunch strategy can undo years of SEO work in days. If you’re relaunching, it’s really worth speaking to an SEO specialist before you flip the switch. We offer pre-launch SEO audits and migration strategies specifically for this scenario – get in touch to find out more.
Frequently Asked Questions
We’ve seen the launch and relaunch of many websites, and here are a few of the questions we commonly hear from people launching or relaunching their website:
"How long will it take to rank on Google?"
For a brand-new website, it typically takes 3-6 months to start seeing results for less competitive searches. More competitive terms can take 6-12 months or longer to start seeing results. The earlier you start, the earlier you’ll see results.
"Do I need to do all of this myself?"
Not at all. Some of it – like making sure your content is factually correct – is best done by you, as you know your business and industry best. But the skilled technical work, keyword research, migration (if needed) and ongoing SEO management are what we’re here for.
"What's the most important thing on this checklist?"
If we were to be honest, we would all say getting the technical foundations right before launch and putting a proper migration, if required, in place. A site that Google can’t crawl properly won’t rank, no matter how good the content is, and a site littered with dead pages is no good to anyone. After that, quality content and backlinks are your biggest areas for success.
"I've already launched without doing any of this - is it too late?"
Absolutely not. It’s never too late to start and improve your SEO. The sooner you begin, the sooner you’ll see results. We’d recommend booking an SEO audit to see where you stand and what areas to prioritise.
"How much does SEO cost?"
It varies depending on your industry, competition, and how quickly you want to grow. We offer flexible packages for businesses of all sizes – the best place to start is by having a conversation with us about your goals. Get in touch with us today!
Ready to Launch (or Relaunch) the Right Way?
We’ve put together a simple, easy to use SEO Launch Checklist – download it and tick off the things as you go to see where you’re at.
If you’d like a hand with any of this – whether it’s a technical audit, keyword research or a full ongoing SEO campaign, the team at Page is here to help! We work with SMEs across the UK, and we love to help businesses find their feet in the world of search, and grow!
Contact & Onwards
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