Website launch SEO checklist: what to check before and after you go live

Most launch problems that hurt search traffic are simple and avoidable: a “noindex” tag left over from staging, old URLs that now return errors, or every page titled “Home”. This checklist catches them, in the order they matter.

If the new site replaces an old one with different URLs, also read how to migrate a website without losing SEO.

Before launch

Indexing

• No noindex on pages that should appear in search. Staging sites often have it site-wide.
• robots.txt doesn’t block the whole site (Disallow: /) on the live domain.
• Staging site itself is password-protected or noindexed, so it doesn’t compete with the live site.
• One version of the site: https, and either www or non-www, with the others redirecting to it.
• Each page has a self-referencing canonical tag, or none (not one pointing to staging).

Page basics (every important page)

• Unique title that says what the page is, often with the business name. Google uses the <title> element and headings to build the title link.
• Unique meta description summarising the page. Google may use it for the snippet.
• One H1 that matches the page’s purpose.
• Descriptive URL (/services/deep-cleaning/, not /page-id-123).
• Images compressed, with descriptive alt text where they carry meaning.
• Internal links to and from important pages; no orphan pages.

Redirects (if replacing an old site)

• List of old URLs from the old sitemap, analytics and Search Console.
• Each old URL mapped to its closest new equivalent.
• 301 (permanent) redirects ready, one hop each, no chains.
• Removed content returns 404 or 410, not a redirect to the homepage.

Experience

• Works and reads well on a phone.
• Core Web Vitals reasonable on key templates (LCP within 2.5 s, INP within 200 ms, CLS within 0.1 are the “good” thresholds). See Core Web Vitals explained.
• Contact details, forms, phone and WhatsApp buttons work.

Structured data and tracking

• Organization or LocalBusiness structured data on the homepage or contact page, matching visible information. See structured data for small businesses.
• Analytics installed, key events firing (form, phone, WhatsApp, purchase). See analytics setup.
• Ad conversion tracking moved to the new site.

Launch day

1. Remove staging blocks: noindex, robots.txt disallow, password protection.
2. Turn on redirects and test a sample of old URLs (including your top 20 by traffic).
3. Check the live robots.txt and a few pages’ source for noindex.
4. Submit the sitemap in Search Console.
5. Use the URL Inspection tool on the homepage and key service or product pages to check Google can fetch them, and request indexing.
6. Submit a test enquiry and check it reaches the CRM and analytics.
7. Update your Google Business Profile, social profiles and ad campaigns if URLs changed.

The first weeks after launch

Google says changes can take from a few hours to several months to show, and suggests waiting a few weeks before judging. Some movement after a launch is normal. A sharp, lasting drop usually means a technical issue: check indexing, redirects and canonicals first.

Frequently asked questions

Should we launch at a quiet time?

Yes, if you can. Google suggests timing site moves for lower-traffic periods, so fewer visitors are affected if something goes wrong.

Do we need to submit every page to Google?

No. A sitemap and good internal links are enough. Use URL Inspection for a handful of key pages.

Our traffic dropped after launch. What do we check first?

Leftover noindex or robots.txt blocks, missing or wrong redirects, and canonicals pointing to the wrong place. These three cause most post-launch drops.

If you’d like a launch checked before it goes live, that’s part of our website service.