WebsitesSEO
A practical checklist before you launch a new website
Speed, SEO, forms, tracking and legal pages — the things worth checking before a new site goes live.
· 1 min read
Launching a website is exciting, and it's easy to miss small details that matter later. Use this checklist before you go live.
Content
- Every page has been proofread
- Contact details are correct and consistent everywhere
- No placeholder text or images are left
- Claims, statistics and testimonials are genuine and approved
Search engines
- Each page has a unique title and meta description
- Headings follow a logical order (one H1 per page)
- An XML sitemap is available and submitted to Google Search Console
-
robots.txtallows the pages you want indexed - Redirects are in place for any old URLs
Performance
- Images are compressed and correctly sized
- The site loads quickly on a mobile connection
- No console errors or broken links
Forms and tracking
- Every form has been tested end to end
- Notification emails arrive (and don't land in spam)
- Analytics and conversion tracking record test submissions
Accessibility
- Text has sufficient colour contrast
- All images have meaningful alt text (or empty alt if decorative)
- The site can be used with a keyboard alone
Security and legal
- HTTPS is enabled everywhere
- Admin accounts use strong, unique passwords
- Backups are configured
- Privacy policy and terms are published and accurate
A launch is the start, not the finish. Plan a review a few weeks later to fix anything real visitors reveal.