SEO checklist for launching (or relaunching) a trades website.

Whether it’s your first proper website or a replacement for one built years ago, a launch checklist helps make sure search engines can find and read your new pages, and that old URLs still lead somewhere useful. The usual slip-ups are avoidable: pages accidentally kept out of search results, old URLs that vanish without a redirect, and missing basics such as page titles and a sitemap. Here’s what to check, and when.

Before launch: page-by-page basics

Page titles and meta descriptions

Each page needs its own <title>, usually shown as the clickable headline in results. Google’s guidance on title links asks for titles that are descriptive, concise and unique to each page, without keyword stuffing. There’s no fixed length limit, but long titles get cut off, and Google may show different text if yours doesn’t describe the page well.

A meta description is a one- or two-sentence summary of the page. Google’s snippet documentation says it builds snippets mainly from page content, using the meta description when that gives a more accurate summary. Write a unique one for each important page. Google’s SEO Starter Guide says it doesn’t use the meta keywords tag.

One clear main heading

Give each page a single H1 (main heading) that says plainly what it’s about, with H2s and H3s breaking up the rest. This is mainly for readers and screen reader users: the Starter Guide says heading order doesn’t matter to Google Search.

Sensible URLs

Google’s URL structure guidelines recommend readable words rather than ID numbers, hyphens rather than underscores, one consistent case (Google treats /About and /about as different URLs) and no unnecessary parameters.

Internal links

Links between your own pages help visitors and Google find your content. Google’s link guidance says every page you care about should be linked from at least one other page, using standard <a href> links and anchor text (the clickable words) that makes sense on its own. “Click here” is too vague.

Images

• Add alt text, a short description of the image, to every meaningful image. Google’s image guidance warns against stuffing it with keywords.
• Use descriptive file names (slate-roof-repair.jpg, not IMG00023.jpg).
• Resize and compress images before uploading. Google notes they’re often the largest contributor to page size.

Before launch: technical checks

Mobile-friendliness

Google uses the mobile version of your pages for indexing and ranking, known as mobile-first indexing. It recommends responsive design (one page that adapts to any screen) with the same main content as desktop. Test each page template on a real phone.

Page speed and Core Web Vitals

Core Web Vitals are three measures of how a page feels to use. Google’s targets are:

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): how quickly the main content appears. Aim for within 2.5 seconds of the page starting to load.
• Interaction to Next Paint (INP): how quickly the page responds to a tap, click or key press. Aim for under 200 milliseconds.
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): how much the layout jumps around while loading. Aim for a score under 0.1.

Google’s page experience guidance says its ranking systems use Core Web Vitals, but that good scores don’t guarantee top rankings and relevant content comes first. Search Console’s Core Web Vitals report uses data from real Chrome users, so a new site may show no data at first. Until then, test key pages with PageSpeed Insights.

HTTPS

Serve every page over HTTPS with a valid certificate, redirecting the HTTP versions permanently. Google prefers HTTPS pages as the canonical version, but a faulty certificate or a redirect from HTTPS back to HTTP pushes it towards HTTP.

XML sitemap and robots.txt

An XML sitemap lists the pages you want search engines to find. Following Google’s sitemap guidance:

• list only the live, preferred version of each page, using full URLs
• keep lastmod dates (when each page last changed) accurate or leave them out (Google ignores priority and changefreq)
• point to the sitemap with a Sitemap: line in robots.txt

Robots.txt tells crawlers (search engines’ automated visitors) which URLs they may visit. Google’s robots.txt introduction says it isn’t a way to keep pages out of search results; use a noindex rule for that.

Canonical tags

A canonical tag tells Google which URL is preferred when the same content is reachable at more than one address, such as with and without a tracking parameter. Add one to each page using the full URL, and link internally to that version. Google’s canonical guidance advises against using robots.txt or noindex for this.

Structured data

Structured data is code describing a page in a standard format, such as your business name and address. Google’s introduction to structured data says JSON-LD (a block of code added to the page) is usually the easiest format to use, and recommends the Rich Results Test for checking it. Only mark up information visible on the page, and note that Google doesn’t guarantee enhanced results.

A proper 404 page

Create a helpful “page not found” page linking to your main sections, and make sure it returns a genuine 404 status code. If it returns a normal 200 (“OK”) status, Search Console may report it as a soft 404.

Analytics and cookie consent

Set up analytics before launch so you have a baseline. In the UK, the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) generally require consent for cookies that aren’t essential. Since 5 February 2026, analytics used solely to produce statistics that help you improve your own site can be exempt. The ICO’s guidance on the exceptions says you must still explain it clearly and offer a simple, free way to object. The results must be aggregate statistics rather than a way to track individual visitors, and a third-party analytics provider may use the data only on your behalf. If it’s also used for advertising, you need consent, and UK GDPR still applies to any personal data. If you’re unsure, take advice.

Relaunching? Protect your old URLs

Google’s site move guidance sets out the process:

1. Build a URL map. List every old URL (from your old sitemap, analytics, Search Console and server logs) and match each one to its closest new page. Don’t send lots of old URLs to your home page: Google says this can confuse visitors and may be treated as an error.
2. Add permanent redirects. Use server-side 301 or 308 redirects that point straight to the final page, not through a chain.
3. Update internal links and canonical tags to the new URLs.
4. Keep the redirects for as long as possible: Google says generally at least a year.
5. Changing domain? Also use the Change of Address tool in Search Console.

Google warns that rankings may fluctuate temporarily during a move. Planning a rebuild? See our website design and development service.

Launch day

1. Remove any noindex settings carried over from the staging (test) site.
2. Check robots.txt isn’t blocking the whole site with Disallow: /.
3. Verify your site in Google Search Console. A Domain property, verified with a DNS record (a setting at the company that manages your domain name), covers all subdomains plus http and https. Leave the record in place, or you’ll lose verification.
4. Submit your sitemap in Search Console’s Sitemaps report.
5. Test a sample of old URLs to confirm each one redirects correctly.
6. Check key pages with the URL Inspection tool. You can request indexing, but Google says that doesn’t guarantee it, and there’s a daily limit.

The weeks after launch

• Check indexing. Indexing (Google adding a page to its database so it can appear in results) isn’t instant or guaranteed. For a new site, Google says it can take a week or so to start crawling and indexing pages. The Page indexing report shows which pages aren’t indexed and why, such as a noindex tag, a robots.txt block or a 404. Not every URL needs indexing, but your important pages should be.
• Fix missed redirects for any old URLs returning 404 errors.
• Compare with your baseline, allowing for movement in the first few weeks.

For what comes next, see our guide to what SEO involves.

Common launch mistakes

• Leaving noindex on. If your staging site was hidden from search engines, that setting is easily copied to the live site.
• Blocking the site in robots.txt. A robots.txt block also stops Google seeing a page’s noindex rule, so the URL can still appear in results.
• Losing old URLs. Pages removed without a redirect return 404 errors, and Google removes those URLs from its index.
• Using the wrong redirect. A temporary (302) redirect doesn’t tell Google a move is permanent, and Google calls JavaScript redirects a last resort.

Need a hand?

If you’re planning a launch or relaunch and would like a second pair of eyes on the SEO side, get in touch and we’ll talk it through.