A website launch SEO checklist is a list of technical and on-page checks you complete before a new site goes live, so search engines can crawl, index and rank it from the first day. Skipping these checks is one of the most common reasons new websites stay invisible on Google for months, or lose rankings after a redesign.
We use the 25 checks below on every website we launch. They are grouped so you can hand each section to the right person on your team.
Indexing and Crawlability Checks
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|
| 1. Search engine visibility is switched on | WordPress “Discourage search engines” and staging noindex tags block your whole site if they are left on. |
| 2. robots.txt allows important pages | A single wrong Disallow rule can hide entire sections. |
| 3. XML sitemap is generated and submitted | Helps Google discover every important URL quickly. |
| 4. HTTPS works everywhere | Every page should load securely, with HTTP and www versions redirecting to one preferred version. |
| 5. Canonical tags point to the right URLs | Prevents duplicate content between similar pages or URL parameters. |
| 6. No broken internal links or 404 errors | Broken links waste crawl budget and frustrate visitors. |
Redirect Checks for Redesigns and Migrations
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|
| 7. Old URLs are mapped to new URLs | Every page that had traffic or links needs a 301 redirect to its closest new equivalent. |
| 8. No redirect chains or loops | Each old URL should redirect once, directly to the final page. |
| 9. Internal links use final URLs | Linking to URLs that redirect slows crawling and dilutes signals. |
On-Page SEO Checks
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|
| 10. Unique title tag on every page | Ideally 50–60 characters with the main keyword near the start. |
| 11. Unique meta description on every page | Around 120–160 characters, written to earn the click. |
| 12. One clear H1 per page | The H1 should describe the page and include its main topic. |
| 13. Logical H2 and H3 structure | Descriptive subheadings help readers and AI tools understand content. |
| 14. Images have descriptive file names and alt text | Improves accessibility and image search visibility. |
| 15. Demo and placeholder content is removed | Theme demo posts, lorem ipsum and fake testimonials damage trust and rankings. |
Speed and Mobile Experience Checks
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|
| 16. Core Web Vitals pass on mobile | Test LCP, INP and CLS in PageSpeed Insights before launch. |
| 17. Images are compressed and lazy-loaded | Large images are the most common cause of slow pages. |
| 18. Caching and minification are enabled | Reduces load time and server strain. |
| 19. Layout works on phones and tablets | Check menus, font sizes, buttons and forms on real devices. |
Structured Data and Local Signals
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|
| 20. Organisation or LocalBusiness schema is added | Tells search engines and AI tools who you are and where you operate. |
| 21. Business name, address and phone are consistent | Must match your Google Business Profile and directory listings. |
| 22. Open Graph tags are set | Controls how pages look when shared on social media and messaging apps. |
Tracking, Legal and Final Checks
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|
| 23. Google Search Console and GA4 are connected | You cannot improve what you do not measure. |
| 24. Privacy Policy and cookie consent are in place | UK GDPR and PECR require consent before non-essential cookies are set. |
| 25. Contact forms are tested end to end | Confirm that enquiries actually arrive in the right inbox. |
What to Do in the First 30 Days After Launch
- Request indexing for your most important pages in Search Console.
- Check the Pages report for crawl or indexing errors every week.
- Monitor 404 errors and add redirects where needed.
- Set up your Google Business Profile if you serve local customers. Our local SEO checklist explains how.
- Start publishing helpful content that targets the questions your customers ask.
Let Us Run Your Pre-Launch SEO Audit
Launching a new site or redesigning an existing one? Our SEO & AI Visibility team can audit your site against every point on this list before it goes live, and we build these checks into every website we develop. Book a pre-launch SEO audit.
