SEO for New Websites
Our SEO for new websites sets up the foundations from launch day, with keywords mapped to pages, a clean structure, Search Console, sitemaps and your business listings, so you aren't fixing basics later.
What's included
- Keyword research on your core services and service area
- A keyword map that assigns each term to one page
- A recommended page structure and URL plan, including which service and location pages to build
- On-page optimization of your launch pages: titles, meta descriptions, headings and copy guidance
- Google Search Console setup, verification and sitemap submission
- An XML sitemap and robots.txt checked before and after launch
- A Google Business Profile and core local listings set up or matched to your new site
- LocalBusiness schema on the home or contact page
- A launch checklist covering noindex settings, analytics and redirects from any old site
Who it's for
This service is for businesses launching a website for the first time, or starting fresh on a new domain with no useful history to carry over. Typical situations:
- A new business such as a mobile detailing service, a physical therapy practice or a new restaurant, with a site being built right now.
- An established business going online properly for the first time, perhaps a trade business that has run on referrals and a Facebook page for years.
- A new site built by a designer or on a DIY builder, where the design is finished but nobody has thought about keywords, page titles or Search Console.
- A business launching a second brand or a separate site for a new service line.
The common problem is that SEO gets left until after launch. The site goes live with page titles like "Home" and "Services", a single page covering every service, no Search Console account and a Google Business Profile that lists a different phone number. Fixing that later is possible, but it is easier to launch correctly.
If you are replacing an existing site that already has rankings, you need a migration plan rather than a fresh start. See website migration SEO.
How we do it
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1. Research what people search in your area
We start with keyword research, seeded with your services, your town and the surrounding areas you serve. For a new business this step often changes the site plan. A new cleaning company might discover that "move out cleaning" and "Airbnb cleaning" are searched separately in its area and deserve their own pages instead of a line on the services list.
Keyword research - 2
2. Plan the structure
From the research we build a keyword map and a page plan: which pages to create, what each should target, the URL for each, and how they link together. A typical small local site ends up with a home page, a page per main service, an about page, a contact page and, where demand exists, a few location pages. We share it with you and your designer before pages are written.
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3. Optimize the launch pages
We write or refine titles, meta descriptions and headings for each launch page, and give copy guidance so the text covers what searchers expect. Images are compressed and given descriptive alt text. LocalBusiness schema goes on the home or contact page.
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4. Set up the technical basics
We make sure the site has an XML sitemap listing every page you want found, and sitemap checks confirm it contains only live, indexable URLs. We check robots.txt, set up and verify Google Search Console, and submit the sitemap.
Sitemap checks - 5
5. Connect your local presence
We check how your business appears across Google Business Profile and the main directories, and run map ranking grid scans to see where it shows in local results. We set up or update your profile and core listings so the name, phone and website match your new site exactly. For a deeper setup, see our Google Business Profile optimization service.
Map ranking grid scans - 6
6. Launch check
On launch day we confirm the site isn't blocking search engines, which is a surprisingly common leftover from development, that analytics records visits and that contact forms reach you. We then request indexing of your main pages in Search Console and check back that they have been picked up.
What to expect from a new site
It helps to be realistic about what a brand-new website faces. Google has no history for your domain, few or no other sites link to it, and there are no reviews or mentions tied to it yet. Established competitors have had years to build all of those.
That doesn't mean a new site can't do well. It means the early wins usually come from specific, less contested searches: a particular service in a particular town, or a question existing sites answer poorly. Your Google Business Profile can also appear in local results for nearby searchers while the website itself is still building authority, which is why we connect the two at launch.
What the launch setup does is remove avoidable delays. Search Console tells Google the site exists and reports problems early. A clean sitemap and sensible structure mean pages are discovered and understood. Matching listings mean Google can connect the website with your business. After that, progress comes from steady work: useful content, reviews and links earned over time, and it varies with your market and competition.
What you receive
When the setup is complete, you get:
- Your keyword map and page plan, showing the target for every page
- A record of on-page changes for each launch page
- Search Console access in your own name, with the sitemap submitted
- A listings summary of the profiles created or updated
- A launch checklist, signed off item by item
- A short next-steps note on what to focus on in the first months after launch
Everything is set up in accounts you own, so it stays with you whoever manages the site later. The keyword map in particular keeps its value long after launch: when you add a page or write a blog post, it tells you what that page should target and which existing page it should link to.
Pricing
This is covered by our Basic one-time SEO package at $99.
The Basic package fits most new small business sites: research on 10 keywords, 10 pages optimized, image optimization and 10 business directory listings, with a report of every listing. If you are launching with many service or location pages, Standard or Premium covers more. We confirm which launch setup tasks apply to you in a free review.
Basic
$99 one time
- Competitor analysis
- Research on 10 keywords
- 10 pages optimized
- Image optimization
- 10 business directory listings
- Report of every listing
Standard
$199 one time
- Competitor analysis
- Research on 20 keywords
- 20 pages optimized
- Image optimization
- 20 business directory listings
- Google Business Profile optimization
- Schema markup
- Report of every listing
Premium
$399 one time
- Competitor analysis
- Research on 50 keywords
- 50+ pages optimized
- Image optimization
- 40 business directory listings
- Google Business Profile optimization
- Schema markup
- 2 guest articles on relevant websites
- Report of every listing and link
Every listing and link is on a real, trusted site. No spam links. You get a report showing each one.
Directory listings include Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, Yelp, Foursquare and directories for your industry.
Frequently asked questions
Something else? Call (866) 571-4320.
How long does it take for a new website to show up in Google?
It varies. Google can find and index a new site fairly quickly once it is verified in Search Console and the sitemap is submitted, but appearing for competitive searches takes longer, because a new domain has no history or links yet. How long depends on your market, your competition and the work done after launch, so we won't give you a date.
Should I do SEO before or after my website is built?
Before, if you can. The keywords decide which pages your site needs and what each one should be called, and that is much easier to settle before design and copy are finished. If the site is already built, we can still do everything on this page; we just work with the structure you have.
My designer says the site is already SEO-friendly. Do I need this?
An SEO-friendly theme means the site can be optimized, not that it has been. The theme doesn't know what your customers search, which towns you serve or which services should have their own pages. SEO for new websites fills in that part, and we are happy to work alongside your designer.
Do I need a page for every service and town?
Not every one. We recommend a separate page when a service or town has real search demand and you have something specific to say about it. Thin pages that swap one town name for another tend to do poorly, so the keyword map shows which pages are worth building now and which can wait.
Can you help if I bought a domain that was used before?
Yes. We check the domain's history and backlink profile for signs of spam or an unrelated past life, and look for old URLs that still attract links. If there is useful history, we can redirect those old URLs to relevant new pages.
What should I do after launch?
Keep adding useful content, collect reviews, and earn links and listings over time. A new site needs steady work to build authority. Many owners move from this setup to our monthly SEO services, and one-time package customers who upgrade within 30 days get what they paid credited to their first month.
Which platform is best for SEO on a new site?
WordPress, Shopify, Wix and Squarespace can all rank well when they are set up properly. The better question is which one you and your team can update easily, because regular updates matter more than the platform. If you haven't chosen yet, tell us in the free review what the site needs to do and we will give you a straight answer.
Launch your new site on the right foundations
Tell us about your business in a short chat. We review your website and contact you within one business day, with no obligation.