SEO Checklist for New Websites: 25 Steps to Get Found on Google
Short answer: a new website gets found on Google when search engines can crawl it, understand each page and trust it. That means a clean technical setup (HTTPS, sitemap, robots.txt, Search Console), a unique title and description on every page, genuinely useful content that answers real questions, fast pages, and links from relevant websites. Work through the checklist below in order.
Technical setup
- Serve every page over HTTPS and redirect http and www versions to one main domain.
- Publish an XML sitemap with only indexable pages, and keep it updated automatically.
- Add a robots.txt file that links to the sitemap and does not block CSS or JavaScript.
- Verify the site in Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools and submit the sitemap.
- Make sure missing pages return a real 404 status.
- Use a canonical tag on every page so duplicate URLs point to one version.
- Keep admin, login and checkout pages out of search with a noindex tag.
On-page basics
- Write a unique title tag for every page, with the main topic near the start (roughly 50-60 characters).
- Write a meta description that summarises the page and invites the click (roughly 150-160 characters).
- Use one H1 that matches the page topic, then H2 and H3 headings for sections.
- Keep URLs short and readable, using words instead of IDs.
- Add descriptive alt text to meaningful images.
- Link between related pages using descriptive anchor text, and add breadcrumbs.
Content
- Make a list of the questions your audience actually searches and give each important one its own page or section.
- Answer the question in the first paragraph, then add detail, steps and examples.
- Show who wrote the content and when it was updated.
- Avoid thin pages - merge or improve pages that have very little useful content.
Speed and page experience
Google's Core Web Vitals measure loading, responsiveness and visual stability. The "good" thresholds are:
| Metric | What it measures | Good |
|---|---|---|
| LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) | How fast the main content appears | 2.5 seconds or less |
| INP (Interaction to Next Paint) | How quickly the page responds to clicks and taps | 200 milliseconds or less |
| CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) | How much the layout jumps while loading | 0.1 or less |
- Compress images and serve them at the size they are displayed.
- Load non-essential scripts and styles without blocking the page.
- Make every page work well on mobile, with readable text and tap-friendly buttons.
Structured data
- Add Organization and WebSite schema on the homepage, BreadcrumbList on inner pages, and Article schema on blog posts.
- Test your markup with Google's Rich Results Test and fix any errors.
Links and visibility
- List the site on a handful of trusted, relevant directories - our Website Submission Sites tool helps you find and track them.
- Earn links by publishing helpful resources others want to reference, such as free tools, guides and original data.
AI search (AEO and GEO)
- Help AI assistants understand and cite your site: write clear question-and-answer sections, keep facts specific and dated, add structured data, and publish an
llms.txtfile that lists your most important pages.
How long does SEO take for a new website?
Indexing can happen within days, but ranking for competitive searches usually takes months of consistent content and link building. Low-competition, specific searches are the fastest wins for a new site, so start there.
Useful free tools
Browse our free online SEO tools - no sign-up needed.