New Website Launch? Don’t Skip This 39-Point SEO Checklist

Launching a Website Isn’t Enough

You need solid SEO groundwork to rank higher, drive traffic, and build authority. Here’s a 2025-ready SEO checklist to set your website up for long-term success.

Your Checklist to Start SEO

1. Set up Google Search Console
2. Set up Bing Webmaster Tools
3. Set up Google Analytics
4. Connect Google Analytics
5. Connect Google Search Console
6. Generate an XML sitemap
7. Submit a sitemap
8. Create a robots.txt file
9. Check Search Console for manual actions
10. Make sure that Google can actually index your website

Your Checklist for Advanced SEO

1. Make sure the site is on HTTPS
2. Duplicate versions of site in Google’s Index
3. Find crawl errors
4. Explore the cause of excluded URLs
5. Improve site speed
6. Fix broken internal links
7. Fix broken outbound links
8. Find and fix HTTP links on HTTPS pages
9. Make sure your website is mobile-friendly
10. Check SEO-friendly URL structure
11. Make sure data is structured
12. Check the page depth of site—3 clicks deep
13. Check temporary 302 redirects
14. Find and fix redirect chains and loops

Your Checklist for WordPress SEO

1. Choose a reliable hosting provider
2. Install an SEO-friendly WordPress theme
3. Install a free WordPress SEO plugin
4. Set your preferred domain
5. Check your site’s visibility settings
6. Enable SEO-friendly permalinks
7. Verify your site with Google Search Console and submit your XML sitemap
8. Carry out keyword research
9. Install the SEO Writing Assistant by Semrush plugin and create great content
10. Optimize images
11. Set custom URLs for pages and posts
12. Use optimized page headings
13. Craft unique optimized title tags & meta descriptions
14. Use internal linking
15. Use optimized file names for images
16. Add alt text to images
17. Install a cache plugin to improve site speed
18. Noindex tag pages and other low-value content
19. Mark up your pages with schema
20. Use ‘Last Updated’ dates

Your Checklist for On-Page SEO

1. Find and fix duplicate, missing and truncated title tags
2. Find and fix duplicate and missing meta descriptions
3. Find and fix multiple H1 tags
4. Improve title tags, meta tags and page content
5. Improve browser tag
6. Ensure images use ALT tags
7. Improve title tag on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP)
8. Improve title tag on external websites
9. Run a content audit and prune content
10. Improve internal linking
11. Find and fix orphaned site pages
12. Update your site’s content

Your Checklist for Off-Page SEO

1. Analyze your competitor’s link profile
2. Conduct a link intersect analysis
3. Turn unlinked mentions into links
4. Find new link-building opportunities
5. Set up and optimize Google Business Profile (Google My Business)
6. Claim a Google Maps listing
7. Claim a Google Business Profile (Google My Business)
8. Check the quality of your link building through the authority score
9. Check the quality of your link building through the number of unique domains
10. Check the quality of your link building through the topical relevance
11. Check the quality of your brand building through brand searches
12. Check the quality of your content marketing
13. Check the quality of your PR
14. Check all citations of your business

1. Pre-Launch SEO Setup

Before your site goes live, ensure these essentials are in place:

• Domain Name: Short, memorable, and keyword-relevant.
• Hosting: Choose a reliable provider for speed and uptime.
• SSL Certificate: Secure your site with HTTPS for better rankings.

Pre-Launch SEO Setup (Continued)

• Mobile Responsiveness: Design must work seamlessly on all devices.
• Robots.txt File: Guide search engine crawlers effectively.
• XML Sitemap: Create and submit it to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.

2. Keyword Research: Lay the Foundation

• Primary Keywords: Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to target high-volume, low-competition keywords.
• Long-Tail Keywords: Focus on phrases with better conversion potential.
• Competitor Analysis: Study top-performing competitor keywords and find gaps.

3. On-Page SEO: Optimize Every Page

• Title Tags: Use primary keywords; stay under 60 characters.
• Meta Descriptions: Write compelling descriptions (150-160 characters).
• Header Tags: Structure content with H1, H2, and H3 tags, incorporating keywords naturally.

On-Page SEO (Continued)

• URL Structure: Short, descriptive, and keyword-rich.
• Image Optimization: Compress images and add keyword-rich alt text.
• Internal Linking: Connect pages strategically to guide users and improve crawlability.

4. Technical SEO: Get Your Backend Right

• Page Speed: Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to optimize loading times.
• Mobile-First Indexing: Test usability with Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool.
• Schema Markup: Add structured data for enhanced search features.
• Canonical Tags: Prevent duplicate content issues.

5. Build a Strong Content Strategy

• High-Quality Content: Create informative, engaging, and unique content.
• E-A-T Principles: Build Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness.
• Blog and Resources: Regularly publish fresh, value-driven content.

Content Strategy (Continued)

• Content-Length: Write in-depth articles (1000+ words) that thoroughly cover topics.
• User Intent: Align content with what your audience is searching for.

6. Off-Page SEO: Build Authority

• Link Building: Secure high-quality backlinks through guest posts, PR, and outreach.
• Social Media Signals: Promote your content across platforms for engagement.
• Brand Mentions: Monitor and convert unlinked mentions into backlinks.

7. Local SEO (If Applicable)

• Google Business Profile: Optimize with accurate, consistent details.
• Local Citations: List your business on directories; ensure NAP consistency.
• Reviews: Encourage positive customer feedback on Google and other platforms.

8. Analytics and Monitoring: Track Your Progress

• Google Analytics: Monitor traffic, user behavior, and conversions.
• Search Console: Check indexing, performance, and search queries.
• Regular Audits: Identify and fix SEO issues monthly.

9. Post-Launch Optimization

• Monitor Indexing: Ensure critical pages are indexed.
• Check Broken Links: Use tools like Screaming Frog to fix broken links.
• Content Updates: Refresh articles to keep them relevant and competitive.

10. Stay Ahead with Updates

• Follow Google’s algorithm changes.
• Join SEO communities to stay informed about industry trends.
• Adapt your strategies to keep your website competitive.

Set Your Website Up for Success

By following this SEO checklist, you’ll create a strong foundation for visibility, traffic, and growth. Remember: SEO isn’t a one-time task—it’s an ongoing commitment.

Are you ready to dominate 2025 search rankings?

That’s a Wrap!

I’m Prav Yadav, the Founder of DML Training

Our Clients Achieve Such Results Within the First 6 Months of Engagement Want Such Results for Your Business? DM Me Right Away.