Skip links
Twitter Linkedin Instagram
Send a message
Contact us
Published in: SEO

How to Do SEO for Your New Website

Author
Published on:

Launching a new site is the best time to get SEO right. This step-by-step playbook walks you from a blank domain to a search-ready, trustworthy website.

Step 0: Set goals, audience, and messaging

Why it matters: Clear goals guide your keyword choices, content, and tracking.

  • Define goals: leads, sales, demo bookings, newsletter sign-ups.
  • Pick 1–2 primary audiences and their pain points.
  • Write your USP (why you vs. competitors).
  • Choose 1–3 core conversions and 3–5 micro-conversions (e.g., scroll depth, video views).

Outputs: Goal sheet, audience personas, USP statement, conversion definitions.

Step 1: Technical foundations (before or right after launch)

  1. Secure, crawlable, fast
  • HTTPS with valid SSL.
  • Single canonical host (redirect http → https, www ↔ non-www).
  • Mobile-first, responsive theme.
  • Pass Core Web Vitals (aim: LCP ≤ 2.5s, INP ≤ 200ms, CLS ≤ 0.1).
  1. Clean URL structure
  • Short, lowercase, hyphenated: /category/keyword/.
  • Avoid dates in URLs unless news.
  1. Indexing controls
  • Create robots.txt and XML sitemap.
  • Add canonical tags on every indexable page.
  • Noindex thin/duplicate pages (tag archives, search results, filters).
# robots.txt (example)
User-agent: *
Disallow: /wp-admin/
Allow: /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php
Sitemap: https://example.com/sitemap.xml

<!-- canonical tag -->
<link rel="canonical" href="https://example.com/your-target-url/">
  1. Analytics & monitors
  • Set up Google Search Console (verify domain) and submit sitemap.
  • Set up GA4 with conversion events.
  • Error monitoring (404s, server errors) and uptime alerts.
  1. Trust pages (E-E-A-T)
  • About, Contact, Privacy, Terms, Refund/Shipping (for ecommerce).
  • Real address/phone (if applicable), founder bios with credentials.
  • Clear customer support options.

Checklist: SSL ✓ | Redirects ✓ | Sitemap ✓ | Robots ✓ | Canonicals ✓ | GSC ✓ | GA4 ✓ | Trust pages ✓

Step 2: Keyword research & mapping

  1. Seed topics: list 5–10 topics tied to your offers (e.g., “commercial interior design,” “SaaS onboarding”).
  2. Expand to long-tails: use autosuggest/“People Also Ask” and competitor pages to collect queries like:
  • “best onboarding software for startups”
  • “interior design cost per sq ft in Bangalore”
  1. Determine intent: informational, commercial, transactional, navigational.
  2. Prioritize: look for high intent, low-to-medium difficulty long-tails first.
  3. Map keywords to pages: one primary keyword + 3–5 related entities per URL.

Simple mapping format:

  • /services/onboarding-software/ → onboarding software, SaaS onboarding tools, user activation
  • /blog/how-to-improve-lcp/ → improve LCP, core web vitals lcp, page speed image optimization

Step 3: Design a scalable site architecture

  • Hub & spoke: Create pillar pages (hubs) with in-depth overviews. Link to detailed child articles (spokes) and back to the hub.
  • Breadcrumbs: Improve UX and add structured data.
  • Flat navigation: Keep important pages ≤ 3 clicks from home.
  • HTML sitemap (optional) for users; XML sitemap for bots.

Step 4: On-page SEO (repeatable template)

Title tag (≤ 60 chars):
Primary Keyword | Value Proposition | Brand

Meta description (≤ 155–160 chars):
Benefit + proof + CTA (aim to improve CTR, not rankings directly).

H1: One per page, naturally includes the primary keyword.

H2/H3: Cover subtopics, FAQs, benefits, pros/cons, steps, pricing, comparisons.

URL slug: Short, include main term: /primary-keyword/

Copy guidelines:

  • Put the main topic in the first 100 words.
  • Answer the main question immediately, then deepen.
  • Use lists, tables, images, and original examples.
  • Add 2–4 internal links to related pages with descriptive (not stuffed) anchors.
  • Add 1–2 credible external citations where helpful.
  • Image SEO: descriptive filenames, ALT text, compress to WebP/AVIF.
  • FAQ section to cover intent edges and enable rich results.

On-page checklist: Title ✓ | Meta ✓ | H1 ✓ | H2/H3 ✓ | Intro answers ✓ | Internal links ✓ | Images+ALT ✓ | FAQs ✓ | Schema ✓

Step 5: Publish a minimum viable content set (first 30 days)

At launch aim for:

  • Core commercial pages: Home, Services/Product, Pricing, Use Cases/Industries, About, Contact.
  • 5–10 helpful blog posts that target long-tails and support your sales pages.
  • 1 comparison or alternatives page (e.g., “Top X Alternatives [2025]”—be fair, evidence-based).
  • 1 data-driven or visual guide (original screenshots, checklists, templates).

Content brief template (copy/paste):

  • Goal: (rank for / educate / capture email)
  • Primary KW:
  • Secondary entities:
  • Search intent: (informational/commercial/transactional)
  • Reader profile & JTBD:
  • Outline: H2s/H3s with questions to answer
  • Evidence to include: data, quotes, examples, screenshots
  • Internal links to add:
  • CTA: (demo, trial, lead magnet)

Step 6: Add structured data (schema) for rich results

Implement JSON-LD via your CMS or GTM. Start with:

  • Organization (logo, social profiles)
  • WebSite + SearchAction (sitelinks search box)
  • BreadcrumbList
  • Article/BlogPosting on blogs
  • LocalBusiness (if local)
  • Product/Offer/Review (if ecommerce)

Organization schema (example):

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context":"https://schema.org",
  "@type":"Organization",
  "name":"Example Co",
  "url":"https://example.com",
  "logo":"https://example.com/logo.png",
  "sameAs":["https://www.linkedin.com/company/example","https://twitter.com/example"]
}
</script>

Article schema (example):

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context":"https://schema.org",
  "@type":"BlogPosting",
  "headline":"How to Do SEO for Your New Website (Step-by-Step)",
  "author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Your Name","description":"Role & credentials"},
  "datePublished":"2025-01-01",
  "image":["https://example.com/images/seo-guide.jpg"],
  "mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://example.com/blog/new-website-seo/"}
}
</script>

Step 7: Speed, UX, and accessibility

  • Compress & lazy-load images/video; serve next-gen formats.
  • Minify & combine CSS/JS; defer non-critical scripts.
  • Use a CDN and caching.
  • Limit heavy UI libraries; only load what you use.
  • Fonts: self-host or use font-display: swap.
  • Accessibility: proper headings, ALT text, contrast, focus states, ARIA landmarks.

Step 8: Local SEO (if you serve a location)

  • Create/claim Google Business Profile; pick the right categories.
  • Consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) across citations (business directories).
  • Build location pages with unique content, FAQs, embedded map, local reviews.
  • Encourage reviews ethically; reply to all.
  • Add LocalBusiness schema, opening hours, service area.

Step 9: Earn links & promote your content (white-hat)

  • Leverage your network: partners, vendors, associations, alumni pages.
  • Digital PR: data stories, original research, visuals (maps, calculators), expert commentary.
  • Resource pages & broken link building: offer your guide as a better replacement.
  • Guest posts on relevant, reputable sites (quality > quantity).
  • Community: answer questions on niche forums, LinkedIn, X; link only when truly helpful.
  • Linkable assets: templates, checklists, tools, benchmarks.

Golden rule: create something worth citing, then tell the right people it exists.

Step 10: Measure, fix, and iterate (30/60/90-day plan)

Week 1–2

  • Verify GSC, submit sitemap, check Indexing → Pages.
  • Fix coverage issues (soft 404s, redirected URLs in sitemap).

Day 30

  • Track impressions, average position, branded vs. non-branded clicks.
  • Improve CTR: rewrite titles/descriptions for low-CTR pages (Position 3–10).

Day 60

  • Expand clusters: publish 3–5 support posts per pillar.
  • Add 2–3 internal links from new posts to commercial pages.

Day 90

  • Consolidate thin/overlapping content (301 to the strongest).
  • Update and republish top performers (fresh stats, examples).
  • Review Core Web Vitals and fix regressions.

Core KPIs: impressions → clicks → CTR → rankings distribution → conversions → revenue.
Diagnostic KPIs: crawl errors, page speed, index coverage, link growth, review velocity (local).

Page template examples (copy/paste)

Title formulas

  • Home: Your Core Benefit for [Audience] | Brand
  • Service: Service Keyword: Outcome for Industry/Location | Brand
  • Blog: How to [Do Task] in [Year] (Steps, Examples)

Meta description formulas

  • Get [result] with [product/service]. See steps, examples, pricing. Try it free.
  • Complete guide to [topic]—tools, templates, pitfalls. Learn from expert tips.

Internal link anchors

  • Descriptive and varied: onboarding checklist, Core Web Vitals guide, pricing for SMEs
  • Avoid repetitive exact-match spam.

E-E-A-T boosters you can implement this week

  • Real author bios with credentials and linked social profiles.
  • About page with company story, team photos, awards, media mentions.
  • Citations to authoritative sources within content.
  • Updated dates on evergreen posts (when genuinely refreshed).
  • Transparent policies: privacy, returns, shipping, editorial standards.
  • Testimonials and case studies with verifiable details (company names, results).

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Launching with thin pages or placeholder text.
  • Targeting a keyword on multiple URLs (cannibalization).
  • Ignoring search intent (e.g., blog post where the SERP shows product pages).
  • Over-optimizing anchors/titles or stuffing keywords.
  • Neglecting page speed and image optimization.
  • Skipping internal links and content refreshes.

Quick SEO launch checklist (print this)

  • SSL + canonical redirects
  • Robots.txt + XML sitemap submitted in GSC
  • Core pages live (Home, Services/Product, Pricing, About, Contact)
  • 5–10 long-tail blog posts published
  • Titles/H1/URLs/INT links optimized
  • Images compressed + ALT text
  • Organization + Article (and Local/Product if needed) schema
  • Core Web Vitals within targets
  • Google Business Profile (if local)
  • Initial link outreach (5–10 relevant opportunities)
  • GA4 conversions configured

FAQs

How long will it take to see results?
New sites often see leading indicators (impressions, long-tail clicks) in 4–8 weeks and meaningful growth in 3–6 months, faster with strong content and links.

Do I need backlinks to rank?
For competitive terms, yes. For long-tails and local, excellent content + internal links + a few relevant backlinks can be enough.

Blog first or landing pages first?
Ship commercial pages first, then publish supporting blogs that internally link back to those pages.

Can I change URLs later?
Yes, but plan carefully and 301 redirect old to new, update internal links, and resubmit sitemaps.

Final word

SEO for a brand-new website is about getting fundamentals right, publishing helpful, intent-matched content, and iterating with data. Use the templates above, publish consistently, and improve weekly—small, compounding gains beat big sporadic pushes.

If you want, I can turn this into a one-page printable checklist or a content calendar tailored to your niche and country.

You may also like

Leave a comment