Launching a new website is exciting — and it's also when small oversights turn into big problems. Broken forms, missing redirects, and accidentally blocked search engines can quietly cost you leads and rankings for weeks before anyone notices. Use this checklist before, during, and after launch to make sure your new site starts strong.
Before Launch: Content
- Proofread every page for spelling, grammar, and outdated information.
- Confirm phone numbers, email addresses, hours, and addresses are correct everywhere.
- Replace all placeholder text and images.
- Make sure every service you offer has a clear, dedicated page.
- Check that legal pages — privacy policy, terms, and cookie policy — are in place.
Before Launch: SEO
- Unique page titles and meta descriptions for every page.
- One clear H1 heading per page, with a logical heading structure below it.
- Clean, readable URLs that describe the page.
- Image alt text describing every meaningful image.
- Structured data for your business, services, articles, and FAQs.
- An XML sitemap listing every page you want indexed.
- A robots.txt file that does not block important pages.
- Canonical tags pointing to the preferred version of each page.
Before Launch: Testing
- Submit every form and confirm the messages actually arrive.
- Click every link and button, including those in the footer.
- Test on iPhone and Android, and in Chrome, Safari, and Edge.
- Run key pages through PageSpeed Insights and fix major issues.
- Check accessibility basics: color contrast, keyboard navigation, and readable text sizes.
- Confirm a custom 404 page appears for broken links.
Launch Day
Set up 301 redirects
If any URLs changed from your old site, redirect each old URL to its closest new equivalent. This is the most important step for protecting existing rankings — skip it and Google sees your old pages as gone.
Remove any "noindex" settings
Development sites are often hidden from search engines. Make sure that setting is turned off at launch, or your new site will not appear in Google.
Confirm HTTPS everywhere
Every page should load securely, and the non-secure and non-www versions should redirect to your main address.
Install analytics and conversion tracking
Set up Google Analytics with conversions for form submissions, phone clicks, and bookings so you can measure results from day one.
Submit your sitemap
Add your sitemap in Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools so search engines discover your pages quickly.
The First 30 Days
- Check Google Search Console weekly for crawl errors and pages that aren't indexed.
- Watch for 404 errors and add redirects where needed.
- Compare traffic and leads to your old site's numbers.
- Update your website link on your Google Business Profile, social profiles, and directories.
- Gather feedback from customers and your team, then make quick improvements.
Common Launch Mistakes
- Forgetting redirects, causing traffic to drop after a redesign.
- Leaving the site blocked from search engines.
- Contact forms sending to an old or unchecked email address.
- Launching without analytics, so there's no way to measure results.
- Huge images that make the new site slower than the old one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my Google rankings drop after launching a new website?
Short-term fluctuations are normal, but a careful launch with proper redirects and preserved content usually limits the impact. Many sites see improvements once Google processes the changes.
How long does it take Google to index a new website?
Often anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Submitting your sitemap in Search Console helps speed up discovery.
Should I launch on a specific day?
Launch when your team is available to monitor and fix issues — usually early in the week rather than before a weekend or holiday.
Launch With Confidence
Every website development and redesign project at Brandon Optimize follows a launch checklist like this one. Planning a new site? Start a project, or get a free audit of your current website first.