The SEO checklist for a new website

Launching a new site? Work through this list.

Before launch

• Use HTTPS and redirect http:// to https://.
• Pick one address: with or without www, and redirect the other.
• Write a unique title and meta description for every page.
• One H1 per page, with headings in order.
• Add alt text to meaningful images.
• Make sure the site works on phones (add the viewport meta tag).

At launch

• Publish an XML sitemap and list it in robots.txt. The XML sitemap generator can create one.
• Check robots.txt does not block the whole site (a common leftover from development).
• Submit the sitemap in the search engines' webmaster tools.

Pages every new site needs

• Home: what you do and for whom, with links to your main sections.
• One page per main product or service.
• About: who you are, with real people and contact details.
• Contact: address, phone, email and a form.
• Policies: privacy, terms and, for shops, refunds and shipping.

Technical checks after launch

• Check that every page returns status 200 and that missing pages return 404.
• Confirm only one version of the site is reachable (HTTPS, with or without www). The www redirect checker helps.
• Make sure the staging site is not indexed. Old development copies often are.

Content in the first three months

Plan a handful of helpful pages that answer your customers' most common questions. They make the site look established and start bringing long-tail visitors early.

After launch

• Run a site audit and fix errors.
• Start tracking your main keywords.
• Publish helpful content regularly.

Run the free website SEO audit on your home page to tick off many of these in one go.