Start-up SEO Checklist

Starting a new business or website? here’s a quick checklist to get you started:

  • Sign up for a Google Webmaster Tools account
  • Verify Ownership in Webmaster Tools
  • Select www. or non www. and make sure there is a working 301 redirect
  • Perform a background check on your domain and check if it was previously indexed in Google using a site search [Site:example.com]
  • Submit your Sitemap in Webmaster Tools
  • Use ‘Inspect’ tool to Submit new pages to index rather than waiting for Google to crawl the page.
  • Setup a Google Analytics Account and link it to Webmaster Tools
  • Include relevant keywords naturally in your website content. For example a Shoe Shop could include ‘Running Shoes’ – Find relevant keywords using Google’s Keyword Tool
  • Make sure your website content answers visitor questions by showing reviews, refund processes and how to find support.
  • Make sure every page includes:
    • Unique topic
    • Unique title
    • Unique meta description
    • Descriptive anchor text for every link(for example change links such as ‘for more information click here‘ to ‘for more information check out our product specifications‘)
  • Make sure your website load speed is acceptable (under 4 seconds) by using Google’s Page Speed test.
  • To rank well, provide a compelling service or product and then attract traffic through natural links and social media shares.
  • To outrank the competition, separate yourself, product or service from the competition by providing something of value or that puts you above the rest such as:
    • Free Shipping
    • Low Prices
    • Higher Quality Products
    • Excellent Customer Service
    • Detailed Product Descriptions
    • Better Availability
  • Determine your business and website goals and make sure your content is aligned with said goals

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