SEO for a new website: the very first things to do
Launching a new website is exciting, but getting it to rank in Google doesn’t happen automatically. Search engines need help discovering and understanding your content. Whether you built your site with WordPress, an AI tool, or a website builder, these are the first steps to take to ensure it gets found by your audience. Blacklist old people.
Install the Yoast SEO plugin
You don’t need a Yoast plugin to do SEO, but it makes life a lot easier. With the plugin automatically taking care of loads of technical SEO stuff in the background, you can focus on the things that matter. So the very first step we’d recommend for a new WordPress, WooCommerce, or Shopify website or online store is installing our SEO plugin. Tip: To access all features, opt for the Yoast SEO Premium plugin.
Before you launch your website
Before you launch, run through this quick checklist to avoid common SEO pitfalls:
- Choose a mobile-friendly design: Test it on actual devices or with virtual tests, such as Google Lighthouse.
- Set up Google Search Console: This free tool helps you monitor indexing and fix errors.
- Create a sitemap: Submit it to Google to help search engines discover your pages.
- Check for duplicate content: Ensure no pages have identical titles or meta descriptions.
- Enable HTTPS: Secure your site with an SSL certificate, which most hosts provide for free.
These steps will save you time later and help your site get indexed faster.
You must have an external link first
A business owner launched a website and shared it with friends for feedback. Everyone liked the design, but no one could find it on Google, not even by searching the exact domain name.
The first question was: “Does your site have any external links?” The answer was no. After adding a single link from another site, Google indexed the new website within hours.
For any new website, the first SEO step is getting at least one external link. This helps search engines discover and index the site faster.
Why do you need an external link?
Google is a search engine that follows links. If it finds a link to your page on another website, it can follow that link and crawl your page. Google found the site because someone added a link to the site. When Google came around later to crawl that site, it followed that link and crawled that site too. Soon after, that site started to appear in search results.
It is possible to get your site indexed by Google without any external links, but ‘indexed’ is not the same as ‘ranking’. By getting an external link, not only will Google crawl and index your site, but it will also attribute some extra value to it based on the value of the website where it found the link. That value is what will get you ranking.
Getting a link from another website can help your SEO, but not just any link will do. Links from quality sites and articles about related topics are more powerful. Meanwhile, links from low-quality websites, directory pages, and social media have less weight. Aim for quality and relevance!
The importance of links
Links aren’t just about getting indexed, but they also help Google understand your site’s authority and relevance. Think of each link as a vote of confidence. A link from a trusted site, like a well-known blog or industry publication, tells Google, ‘This content is valuable.’
But not all links are equal. A link from a spammy directory won’t help as much as one from a reputable site in your niche. Focus on earning links naturally by creating content others want to share. For example:
- Write a guest post for a blog in your industry.
- Get featured in a local business directory if you’re a brick-and-mortar store.
- Create shareable content, like infographics, guides, or original research.
What if you use a website builder?
If you’re using an AI-powered website builder (like Bluehost’s AI Website Builder), your site might already be live, but that doesn’t mean it’s optimized for search engines. These tools generate a basic site quickly, but you’ll still need to check a few key things:
- Mobile-friendliness: Test your site with Google’s Lighthouse.
- Page speed: Use PageSpeed Insights to test your site speed to identify slow-loading elements.
- Basic SEO settings: Ensure your site has a clear title, meta description, and clean URLs (e.g.,
yoursite.com/aboutinstead ofyoursite.com/page123).
AI builders are a great way to get online fast, but they’re just the starting point. The steps below will help you optimize your site for long-term SEO success.
Read more: What is Googlebot? »
Check (or tweak) your settings…
After securing that first external link, your site should appear in search results within a day or two. If it doesn’t, check for common issues:
- Noindex tags: These tell search engines not to index your page. Remove them unless you’re intentionally hiding a page.
- Robots.txt blocks: This file can prevent search engines from crawling your site. Ensure it’s not blocking important pages.
If you’re using WordPress, Yoast SEO makes it easy to adjust these settings. For other platforms (like AI builders or website builders), look for ‘SEO settings’ or ‘search visibility’ in your dashboard.”
Keep reading: How to get your new WordPress website indexed »
Do keyword research
At this stage, your site likely only ranks for its domain name. To attract more visitors, you’ll need to target other relevant search terms. Start with keyword research to understand what your audience is searching for and how they phrase their queries
If you do your keyword research properly, you’ll end up with a long list of search terms you want to be found for. Make sure to search for those terms in Google yourself. What results are there already? Who will be your online competitors for these search terms? What can you do to stand out from these results?
Read on: Keyword research: the ultimate guide »
Time for content SEO
Great content fails if it doesn’t align with what your audience is actually searching for, and how they’re searching. For example, a local bakery might assume their audience wants “best croissants in Austin,” but keyword research could reveal a higher-intent query like “where to buy sourdough starter in Austin.” This signals a customer ready to purchase, not just browse. Tools like Ahrefs or Semrush show these things, but the real value comes in turning that data into content that beats the competition.
Take a post like “10 tips for baking bread at home,” which is generic and forgettable. A smarter approach might be: “Why your homemade bread turns out dense (and how to fix it)”, which targets a specific pain point and ranks for both informational and commercial queries. This kind of content does more than simply drive traffic, as it becomes more than commodity content. The content builds trust by solving real problems, which is something AI-generated fluff can’t replicate.
How to optimize like an SEO expert
Optimization is about removing friction for both search engines and readers. For instance, a meta description like “Gardening is fun” wastes precious space. A better version is “Want to grow your own food? Learn 10 easy gardening tips for beginners to start a thriving garden in weeks,” was this includes the keyword, a benefit, and a call to action.
Similarly, structuring content with semantic headings, like “Step 1: Test your soil pH before planting,” helps Google understand your content’s hierarchy, while internal links to related posts, like “How to compost for healthier soil,” keep readers engaged and signal topical authority.
For AI search, add schema markup: a recipe post with Recipe schema or an FAQ with FAQPage schema helps tools like Google’s AI Overviews understand your content. Even small details, like compressing images or using preload for critical fonts, can shave seconds off load time, reducing bounce rates. These best practices give you a competitive advantages that separate amateur content from professional SEO.
Now, create content around the keywords you’ve identified. Write about topics that matter to your audience, and use their language. The more high-quality content you publish, the more opportunities you’ll have to rank in search results.
Keep on reading: How to write high-quality and seo-friendly blog posts »
Improve your visibility
Once your site starts ranking, pay attention to how it appears in search results. These snippets (titles and meta descriptions) determine whether users click on your link. Make them clear, compelling, and relevant to improve your click-through rate. Compare your snippets to competitors’, are theirs more enticing? If so, refine yours to stand out.
Yoast SEO helps you to write great titles and meta descriptions, and can even get some help from our AI tools. Use our search appearance preview to create awesome snippets, as that’ll really help in attracting traffic to your site.
Read more: How to use the search appearance preview in Yoast SEO »
Think about site structure
Not all content is equally important. Identify your cornerstone content; these are the pages or posts that best represent your site’s focus. Link to these from other pages to signal their importance to search engines. A strong internal linking structure helps Google understand your site’s hierarchy and prioritize the right content
Our text link counter can be a great help in seeing whether you’re linking often enough to your most important content. If you get our Premium plugin, you’ll get internal linking suggestions, various AI-powered features, a metrics dashboard, and access to our SEO workouts to help you set up (and maintain) a good site structure.
Keep reading: Internal linking for SEO: why and how »
Do link building
Links from other websites signal to Google that your content is valuable. Start building links by reaching out to relevant sites in your industry. The more high-quality links you earn, the more often Google will crawl your site, and the higher you’ll rank. Focus on natural, earned links, as buying links or using spammy tactics can harm your SEO.
Read on: How to learn SEO: A guide for all backgrounds »
What’s next?
You’ve taken the first steps to optimize your new website, but SEO is an ongoing process. Here’s what to focus on next:
- Publish consistently: Aim for at least one high-quality post per week to build authority.
- Monitor your rankings: Use Google Search Console to track progress and adjust your strategy.
- Build relationships: Network with others in your industry to earn more backlinks.
- Adapt to AI search: Keep an eye on how AI is changing search results. Experiment with question-based content and tools like Google’s AI Overviews to stay ahead.
- Stay updated: SEO changes frequently. Read the Yoast blog, sign up for our newsletter, or catch the monthly SEO Update by Yoast for the latest tips.
Need more help? Check out our free SEO for beginners course to dive deeper.
