Key takeaways

  • Check indexing: robots.txt, sitemap.xml and no noindex on live pages.
  • Every page needs a unique title, description and one H1.
  • Speed and mobile affect both rankings and your cost per click.
  • Without conversion tracking, ads run blind.

Before launching a new website, check 20 points in six groups: indexing, meta tags, structure, speed, structured data and analytics. It takes a few hours and saves months.

Indexing

  1. robots.txt doesn’t block the site — a common leftover from staging.
  2. sitemap.xml lists all live pages and no service ones.
  3. noindex only where needed, e.g. the thank-you page.
  4. HTTPS works; http:// and www redirect to one version with a 301.
  5. The site is added to Google Search Console with the sitemap submitted.

Meta tags and headings

  1. A unique title per page, up to 60 characters, main query first.
  2. A description up to 155 characters with a benefit and a call to action.
  3. One H1 per page, then logical H2s and H3s.
  4. For bilingual sites — hreflang and canonical URLs.
  5. Open Graph filled in for link previews.

Structure and content

  1. A separate page per service and important query — see landing page vs website.
  2. Service pages with prices, timelines, examples, FAQ and a form.
  3. Internal links: home → services → case studies, articles → services.
  4. Every image has a descriptive alt.

Speed and mobile

  1. Core Web Vitals in the green: LCP under 2.5 s, INP under 200 ms, CLS under 0.1.
  2. Images in WebP with dimensions and lazy loading.
  3. A comfortable mobile version: big buttons, readable text, short forms.

Dmytro’s take. Google Ads factors in landing page experience: speed, relevance and usability. A slow site literally makes every click more expensive, so speed is direct savings on your ad budget.

Structured data

  1. Schema.org: Organization or ProfessionalService, Service, FAQPage, BreadcrumbList, Product for stores. Test with the Rich Results Test.

Analytics and conversions

  1. GA4 via Google Tag Manager with events: form lead, phone, Telegram and email clicks, payment.
  2. Consent Mode v2 with a cookie banner, plus UTM and gclid stored with each lead.

Common SEO mistakes on new websites

  • The site stays blocked from indexing after moving from staging.
  • The same title on every page.
  • Several H1s per page, or an H1 in the logo.
  • Old URLs not redirected after a redesign.
  • 2–5 MB images without compression.
  • www and non-www versions seen as duplicates.

After launch

  • After 1–2 weeks check indexed pages in Search Console.
  • After a month review the queries you show up for and improve the copy.
  • Publish useful articles regularly.

I set up everything on this list during development. See what’s included in the plans or message me to check your current site.