SEO Checklist for a Brand-New Website
By CodexierPublished 4 min read
A new website starts with no history, no links and no rankings. You cannot change that overnight, but you can make sure nothing technical holds it back and that Google understands from the first crawl what you do and where. This checklist covers the foundations to have in place at launch, grouped so you can hand each part to whoever builds or writes the site.
Indexing and robots settings
- Remove any noindex tag and password protection left from the staging site. This is the most common launch mistake.
- Check robots.txt does not block the whole site or important folders.
- Pick one version of the domain, with or without www, and redirect the other to it.
- Use HTTPS everywhere and redirect HTTP to HTTPS.
- If the site replaces an old one, redirect every old URL to its closest new page.
Redirecting old URLs is critical when you rebuild, and our guide on launching a new website without losing rankings covers it in detail.
Titles, headings and URLs
| Element | Do | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Title tag | Unique per page, main topic and place first, brand last | The same title on every page, or only the company name |
| Meta description | A plain summary with a reason to click | Empty, duplicated or stuffed with keywords |
| H1 | One per page, saying what the page is about | Logo as H1 or several H1s |
| URL | Short, lowercase, words separated by hyphens | IDs, dates or parameters for normal pages |
| Image alt text | A description of the image | Keyword lists |
Write for the searcher first. Use the words your customers actually type, which may not be your internal terms.
Give each service its own page rather than listing everything on one. A page per service and, where relevant, per city you genuinely serve, gives Google a clear page to rank for each query.
Sitemap and Search Console
- Verify the domain in Google Search Console, preferably as a domain property.
- Submit the XML sitemap, containing only live, indexable pages.
- Request indexing for the home page and main service pages.
- Check the page indexing report after a week or two for errors.
- Add Bing Webmaster Tools too; it takes minutes and some search tools draw on Bing's index.
Our guide to Google Search Console for beginners explains the reports you will use most.
Speed and mobile basics
Images
Modern formats, correct sizes and lazy loading below the first screen. Usually the biggest win.
Mobile layout
Readable text, tappable buttons and no horizontal scrolling on a phone.
Core Web Vitals
Check with PageSpeed Insights on mobile for the home page and a service page.
Scripts
Only the tracking and chat tools you actually use, loaded after consent where required.
Business details and local signals
For a business that serves customers locally, Google Business Profile is often worth more than the website itself in the first months. Set it up, verify it and link it to the site. Make sure the company name, address and phone number are written the same way on the website, the profile and Swedish directories such as Eniro, Hitta and Allabolag. Add organisation structured data with the same details.
- A contact page with address, phone, opening hours and organisation number.
- Google Business Profile verified, with categories, services and photos.
- Consistent details in the main directories.
- Structured data for the organisation or local business.
When you do not need to buy SEO: a new site built on a modern platform with this checklist followed is in good shape, and the next step is content and reviews, not technical work. If you want the launch checked, our SEO audit and technical fix does exactly that; see the pricing page or book a short call.
Frequently asked questions
How long before a new website appears in Google?
Pages are often indexed within days after submitting a sitemap and requesting indexing. Ranking well for competitive searches takes much longer and depends on content, links and reviews built over months.
Should we write a blog from launch?
Only if you can keep it up. Strong service pages matter more at launch. Add guides later when you know which questions customers ask.
Do we need structured data?
It is not required, but organisation or local business markup helps Google connect your site with your company details. It takes little effort to add at launch.
Is a one-page website bad for SEO?
It limits you, because one page can only rank well for a narrow set of searches. For several services or areas, separate pages give each its own chance to rank.
Launching soon? Get the SEO basics checked
Send us the staging or live address. In 15 minutes we will flag anything that could stop Google from indexing or understanding the site.
Book a free 15-minute call