Good content will not rank if search engines cannot crawl and understand your site. Use this checklist when you launch a new website, and run through it again after any major redesign.
Crawling and indexing
- Check that robots.txt does not block pages you want in search results.
- Create an XML sitemap and submit it in Google Search Console.
- Remove any leftover noindex tags from your staging site.
- Use 301 redirects when you change a URL, and fix internal links that point to 404 pages.
Page basics
- Give every page a unique title tag and meta description.
- Use one clear H1 per page and a logical H2 and H3 structure below it.
- Set a canonical URL on each page to avoid duplicate versions.
- Write descriptive alt text for meaningful images.
Speed and mobile
- Serve the site over HTTPS.
- Test on a real phone. Text should be readable and buttons easy to tap.
- Check Core Web Vitals (LCP, INP, and CLS) in PageSpeed Insights or Search Console.
- Compress images, use modern formats such as WebP or AVIF, and lazy-load images below the fold.
Structure and meaning
- Add structured data where it fits, such as Organization, Article, or Product.
- Link related pages to each other so both visitors and crawlers can move through the site.
- Use hreflang tags if you publish the same content in several languages.
None of these steps guarantees rankings. They remove the technical problems that stop good pages from being found in the first place.