Launching a new website is an exciting project for any company, but many often neglect the importance of SEO during the process. In order to effectively incorporate SEO into a website launch, it should be integrated into each of the three stages: the strategy phase, the build phase, and the launch phase.

During the strategy phase, teams focus on the website’s look and functionality. While others are debating design elements, the SEO team should be laying the foundation for SEO. This can be done through tasks such as keyword research and SEO siloing. Keyword research helps align website content with the queries that the target audience uses when searching for relevant information. By identifying the main topics and questions related to the website’s offering, the SEO team can create a seed list of keywords to inform the site’s navigation and content.

SEO siloing involves organizing website content and links in a way that maximizes relevance for important keywords and helps pages rank higher in search results. By using keyword research to inform the site’s architecture, the SEO team can create landing pages and subpages that support the identified keywords. Additionally, they can determine how these pages should be linked to enhance user navigation and improve search engine optimization.

In the build phase, designers and developers create the website based on the strategy outlined in the previous phase. The SEO team should ensure that the technical aspects of the website, such as accessibility, mobile-friendliness, and page speed, are optimized for search engines. They should also oversee content development to ensure that each landing page and subpage is filled with quality, helpful content. This content should be created with expertise and authority, answering user queries and providing valuable information. On-page optimization tactics, such as readability, meta tags, heading tags, keyword optimization, image optimization, and schema markup, should also be implemented to improve the website’s search engine rankings.

Finally, in the launch phase, it is important to conduct pre-launch SEO tasks to ensure a smooth website launch. These tasks include checking for accessibility errors, conducting a crawl of the website with an SEO tool, setting up proper redirects for any changed URLs, and implementing tracking scripts for analytics. Once these tasks are completed, the website can be launched confidently.

In conclusion, incorporating SEO into each stage of a website launch is crucial for driving organic traffic and ensuring the website’s success. By conducting keyword research, implementing SEO siloing, optimizing technical aspects, developing quality content, and conducting pre-launch SEO tasks, companies can set themselves up for better search engine rankings and increased visibility online.