Before Launch: Technical Foundation
Getting the technical basics right is crucial before your site goes live. These foundational elements will impact your SEO for years to come.
1. HTTPS and Security
Google has confirmed HTTPS as a ranking signal. Every modern website should use HTTPS:
- SSL Certificate: Install an SSL certificate (free from Let's Encrypt or provided by your host)
- Force HTTPS: Redirect all HTTP traffic to HTTPS versions
- Mixed content: Ensure all resources (images, scripts, CSS) load over HTTPS
- HSTS: Consider implementing HTTP Strict Transport Security headers
2. Mobile-Friendly Design
With Google's mobile-first indexing, your mobile experience determines your rankings:
- Responsive design: Ensure your site adapts to all screen sizes
- Touch-friendly elements: Buttons and links should be easy to tap
- Readable text: Font sizes should be legible without zooming
- Mobile speed: Test mobile performance specifically
Test your site: Use Google's Mobile-Friendly Test tool to verify.
3. Site Speed Optimization
Page speed is a direct ranking factor. Target these benchmarks:
- First Contentful Paint: Under 1.8 seconds
- Largest Contentful Paint: Under 2.5 seconds
- Time to Interactive: Under 3.8 seconds
- Cumulative Layout Shift: Under 0.1
4. XML Sitemap
Help search engines discover and understand your content:
- Create sitemap.xml: List all important pages you want indexed
- Include lastmod dates: Help search engines prioritize recently updated content
- Set priorities: Indicate which pages are most important
- Submit to Google Search Console: Speed up indexing
5. Robots.txt File
Control how search engines crawl your site:
- Allow all crawlers: Unless you have specific reasons to block them
- Block admin areas: Keep private sections out of search results
- Link to sitemap: Include your sitemap location
- Test before launch: Use Google Search Console's robots.txt tester
On-Page SEO Essentials
These elements need to be optimized on every important page of your website.
6. Title Tags
The most important on-page SEO element:
- Include target keyword: Preferably near the beginning
- Keep under 60 characters: Avoid truncation in search results
- Make them unique: Every page needs a distinct title
- Include brand name: Usually at the end, separated by a pipe or dash
Example: "Complete SEO Checklist for New Websites | Ohlluu"
7. Meta Descriptions
While not a direct ranking factor, descriptions impact click-through rates:
- Length: 150-160 characters (shows fully in search results)
- Include keywords: They'll be bolded in search results
- Compelling copy: Write to entice clicks, not just for SEO
- Unique descriptions: Don't duplicate across pages
8. Header Tags (H1-H6)
Proper header structure helps both users and search engines:
- One H1 per page: Should match or closely relate to your title tag
- Logical hierarchy: H2s under H1, H3s under H2s, etc.
- Include keywords: Naturally incorporate target terms
- Break up content: Make long content scannable
9. URL Structure
Clean, descriptive URLs perform better:
- Keep it short: 3-5 words maximum
- Use hyphens: Not underscores, for word separation
- Include keywords: Make URLs descriptive
- Avoid parameters: Use clean URLs, not ?id=123
Good: /blog-seo-checklist.html
Bad: /page.php?id=123&cat=blog
10. Image Optimization
Images need optimization for both speed and searchability:
- Alt text: Describe images accurately (helps accessibility and SEO)
- Descriptive filenames: Use keywords in file names (not IMG_1234.jpg)
- Compress images: Reduce file sizes without losing quality
- Responsive images: Serve appropriately sized images for each device
11. Internal Linking
Internal links distribute page authority and help search engines discover content:
- Link to important pages: From high-authority pages
- Use descriptive anchor text: Avoid generic "click here" links
- Logical structure: Create topic clusters and hub pages
- Fix broken links: Regularly audit and fix 404s
Content Optimization
Content is still king. Here's how to optimize it for search:
12. Keyword Research
Before writing, understand what people are searching for:
- Search intent: Understand why people search for your keywords
- Long-tail keywords: Target specific, lower-competition phrases
- Search volume: Balance competition with traffic potential
- Related keywords: Include semantic variations and related terms
Tools: Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, SEMrush, Ubersuggest
13. Content Quality
Google's algorithms increasingly reward high-quality, helpful content:
- Comprehensive coverage: Answer the user's query thoroughly
- Original insights: Don't just rehash what others have written
- Accurate information: Fact-check and cite sources
- Regular updates: Keep content fresh and current
14. Content Length
While there's no magic number, longer content tends to rank better:
- In-depth guides: 2000+ words for comprehensive topics
- Blog posts: 1000-1500 words minimum
- Product pages: 300-500 words of unique content
- Quality over quantity: Don't add fluff just to hit word counts
Advanced SEO Elements
15. Schema Markup (Structured Data)
Help search engines understand your content and enable rich results:
- Organization schema: For business information
- Article schema: For blog posts and news content
- Product schema: For e-commerce sites
- Local business schema: For businesses with physical locations
Test your markup: Use Google's Rich Results Test tool
16. Open Graph Tags
Control how your content appears on social media:
- og:title: Title for social shares
- og:description: Description for social posts
- og:image: Image that appears with shares (1200x630px optimal)
- og:type: Content type (website, article, etc.)
17. Canonical Tags
Prevent duplicate content issues:
- Self-referencing canonicals: Every page should have one
- Consolidate similar pages: Point variations to a single authoritative version
- Consistent with redirects: Don't canonicalize to pages that redirect
After Launch: Setup and Monitoring
18. Google Search Console
Essential free tool for monitoring search performance:
- Verify ownership: Add and verify your property
- Submit sitemap: Help Google discover your content
- Monitor indexing: Check which pages are indexed
- Track performance: See which queries bring traffic
19. Google Analytics
Understand how users interact with your site:
- Set up GA4: The latest version of Google Analytics
- Track conversions: Set up goals and events
- Monitor behavior: See how users navigate your site
- Analyze traffic sources: Understand where visitors come from
20. Local SEO (If Applicable)
For businesses with physical locations:
- Google Business Profile: Claim and optimize your listing
- NAP consistency: Name, Address, Phone consistent across the web
- Local citations: Get listed in relevant directories
- Local schema: Add LocalBusiness structured data
Ongoing SEO Maintenance
SEO isn't a one-time task. Schedule these regular activities:
- Weekly: Monitor Search Console for issues and new opportunities
- Monthly: Review analytics, update old content, fix broken links
- Quarterly: Audit technical SEO, refresh keyword strategy
- Annually: Comprehensive site audit and strategy review
Common SEO Mistakes to Avoid
- Keyword stuffing: Write naturally for humans first
- Buying links: Focus on earning quality backlinks
- Duplicate content: Ensure each page has unique content
- Ignoring mobile: Mobile-first is not optional
- Slow site speed: Performance impacts rankings directly
- No analytics: You can't improve what you don't measure
Your SEO Launch Checklist
Use this quick checklist before launching your site:
- ✓ HTTPS enabled and forced
- ✓ Mobile-friendly responsive design
- ✓ Page speed optimized (LCP under 2.5s)
- ✓ XML sitemap created and submitted
- ✓ Robots.txt configured correctly
- ✓ Title tags and meta descriptions on all pages
- ✓ Proper header hierarchy (H1-H6)
- ✓ Clean, keyword-rich URLs
- ✓ Images optimized with alt text
- ✓ Internal linking structure established
- ✓ Schema markup implemented
- ✓ Open Graph tags added
- ✓ Canonical tags on all pages
- ✓ Google Search Console set up
- ✓ Google Analytics configured
Need Professional SEO Help?
SEO can be overwhelming, especially when you're trying to run a business at the same time. If you'd like expert help optimizing your website for search engines, let's talk. We specialize in building SEO-optimized websites that attract organic traffic and convert visitors into customers.