SEO for a new website starts before launch: get the basics right in the build, help Google find the site on launch day, then keep an eye on how Google is reading it over the first few weeks. A brand-new site has no history with Google, so give it time to show for anything competitive.
The good news is that the basics aren’t complicated. Most of them are things a good web designer should set up as part of the build. This guide walks through them in order, so you know what to ask for and what to check.
1. Before launch: plan the pages around what people search for
One page for each thing you sell
Google matches searches to pages, so the most useful thing you can do before launch is plan the pages properly. Give each service or product its own page, rather than listing everything on one. Someone searching for one particular service should land on a page about exactly that. If you’re writing a brief for a new site, list the pages you know you need and a designer will help you fill the gaps.
A title, description and one clear heading for every page
Every page needs its own title and description. The title is usually what people see as the blue link in Google, and it should say clearly what the page is about. Google sometimes shows the description underneath it, so write it to make someone want to click. Then give each page one main heading that tells visitors what it’s about. Google doesn’t mind how headings are ordered, but your visitors need to know they’re in the right place.
Short, readable web addresses help too. A page called /garden-design/ tells people more than /page-id-482/.
2. Before launch: the technical basics
Speed on mobile
Plenty of your visitors will see the site on a phone first, so check it there, not just on a laptop. A free tool like PageSpeed Insights shows how fast a page loads on mobile and what’s slowing it down. Big images are usually the first thing to look at. Our guide to Core Web Vitals explains what the scores mean.
Image sizes and alt text
Resize images before they go on the site, so they’re no bigger than they need to be. Give each one a short description, called alt text, that explains what it shows. It helps Google understand the image and how it fits the page, and it helps people using screen readers.
Your business details marked up for Google
Structured data is a bit of code that tells Google the facts about your business in a format it can read easily: your name, address, phone number and opening hours. It doesn’t change how the page looks, but it’s worth having on any business site. We cover it in more detail in how structured data helps search visibility.
Redirects from any old pages
If the new site replaces an old one, every old page address needs to point to its new home with a permanent redirect. Otherwise, anyone clicking an old Google result, or an old link from another site, lands on a dead page. It’s one of the easiest things to miss in a rebuild, and one of the most important. Our guide to website structure explains why it matters.
3. Launch day
Search Console and your sitemap
Google Search Console is free, and it’s where Google shows you how it sees your site. Add the site to Search Console and prove it’s yours. Then submit your sitemap, a file that lists all the pages you want Google to know about. Most website platforms create one for you.
Google can find a site without either. It mainly finds pages through links from other pages, and a sitemap isn’t required. But a new site has very few links pointing to it, so a sitemap is a quick way to make sure Google knows about every page. Bear in mind that a sitemap is a hint, not a guarantee.
Making sure Google is allowed in
While a site is being built, it’s common to switch on a setting that keeps it out of Google. Before launch, make sure it’s switched off. Look in your platform’s search engine settings for an option with a name like “search engine visibility”. Left on, it keeps the site out of Google.
Tracking enquiries
If you want to know which visitors get in touch, set up Google Analytics (GA4) to track enquiries and key events on the site, like form sends and calls. It’s optional, but worth asking your designer about if you want to see what your website brings in.
4. The first few weeks
Asking Google to index your key pages
In Search Console, the URL Inspection tool lets you ask Google to crawl a page. Do it for your most important pages: the homepage, your main services and your contact page. Crawling can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, and asking more than once for the same page won’t speed it up.
A quick way to see what’s in Google is to search for site: followed by your address, like site:yourbusiness.co.uk. If your pages appear, they’re in the index.
Checking how Google is reading the site
Over the first few weeks, look at Search Console now and then. It shows which pages Google has picked up, which ones it hasn’t, and which searches your site has started to appear for. If a key page isn’t showing, inspect it to see how Google sees it. This is when you find out whether everything you set up before launch is working.
5. After the first month
Adding content people search for
Once the main pages are live and indexed, start adding pages and articles that answer the questions your customers ask before they buy. Write for those questions, not for a keyword count. Every useful page gives Google another reason to show your site, and gives visitors another reason to get in touch. If you’re working with a designer on what comes next, here’s what happens in a web design project.
Your Business Profile and reviews
If you serve customers in a local area, your Google Business Profile matters as much as your website. It’s what shows on the map. Get it set up, link it to the new site, and start asking customers for reviews. Our local SEO checklist covers it step by step.
6. A new website SEO checklist
Here’s everything above in one list. Use this new website SEO checklist with your designer before launch, and come back to it after.
Before launch
- A page for each thing you sell
- A title and description for every page
- One main heading per page
- Short, readable page addresses
- Speed checked on mobile
- Images resized, with alt text
- Your business details marked up for Google
- Redirects from every old page address
Launch day
- Site added to Search Console
- Sitemap submitted
- “Don’t index” setting switched off
- GA4 set up, if you want to track enquiries
The first few weeks
- Indexing requested for your key pages
- Search Console checked to see how Google is reading the site
After the first month
- New pages and articles that answer your customers’ questions
- Business Profile set up and linked, and reviews coming in
What to expect, and when
Google is clear that changes take time to show. Some take effect in a few hours, others take several months, and it suggests waiting a few weeks before judging whether something has worked. For a brand-new site, the first signs are usually your own business name showing up, then the pages for your services. Competitive searches take longer.
Every website we build gets these basics set up before launch, and we ask Google to index the main pages on launch day. If you’re planning a new site, have a look at our web design packages. If your site is already live and you want more people to find it, our SEO services pick up from here.
You can email us at hello@thesocialbay.co.uk, fill in our start a project form, or call or message us on 07441 918230.
Frequently asked questions about SEO for a new website
How long does it take for a new website to show on Google?
It varies. Google says crawling can take a few days to a few weeks, and that some changes take months to show. Searching for your business name is usually the first thing that works. Competitive searches take longer, especially for a site with no history.
Do I need to submit my new website to Google?
You don’t have to. Google finds most sites on its own by following links. But for a new site with few links pointing to it, submitting a sitemap in Search Console and asking Google to index your key pages helps it find everything sooner.
What is a sitemap, and does my site need one?
A sitemap is a file that lists the pages on your site you want Google to know about. Most website platforms make one automatically, so you usually just need to submit it in Search Console. It isn’t required, but on a new site it’s worth doing.
Can I do SEO for a new website myself?
Yes, the basics in this guide are things you can do yourself, and Google’s own SEO Starter Guide is written for site owners. Where it gets harder is the technical set-up and knowing what to do next once the basics are in. That’s where a designer or an SEO agency helps.
Does a new website need a blog?
Not on day one. Get the main pages right first. A blog earns its place when it answers questions your customers actually search for, and it’s one of the easiest ways to keep adding useful pages to a site over time.