By Henry 
Picture this: you’ve spent months building your website and you’re ready to launch. Then three weeks later, Google isn’t indexing half your pages because of one broken link. Truth be told, an SEO audit before launch would have caught this.
Most site owners check their homepage and call it done. But they miss the technical errors that tank 60% of new websites in their first month. At Click 2 Rank, we’ve audited enterprise sites managing millions of pages, and we know what separates smooth launches from expensive do-overs.
After performing an SEO audit, you can catch speed issues, on-page mistakes, and more before your website goes live. This way, you’re making sure search engines can find and rank your content.
Let’s start with what search engines check first.
Did you know 53% of visitors abandon sites that take longer than three seconds to load? Speed is not a nice feature anymore. Nowadays, it’s a ranking factor.
What’s more, search engines run through a technical checklist when they discover your site:
When you decide to open your own website, you need to know these to successfully rank. Google measures loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability through core web vitals that directly impact your search ranking.
For example, pages that load slower than three seconds lose half their visitors before the content even appears. Think about the last time you waited for a slow page. You probably left, right?
No need to worry, free tools like PageSpeed Insights show which images or scripts are causing the slowdown.
Over 60% of searches happen on phones, so search engines prioritise sites that work perfectly on mobile. We suggest you test your landing page on actual devices, not some browser tools.
The truth is, browser emulators miss issues like tap targets being too small. Plus, website builder platforms sometimes create mobile versions that look fine but load slowly on tablets.
Your XML sitemap tells search engines which pages to crawl and helps them understand your site structure. We’ve seen one wrong line prevent Google from accessing product pages worth thousands in revenue.
Take our advice, submit your sitemap through Google Search Console within 24 hours for faster indexing.
Once your technical foundation is solid, you need to make sure your actual content is set up to rank.
The best part about on-page SEO is that you control every element and can fix issues immediately. No waiting on algorithm updates.
Here are the on-page factors worth your attention:
- Meta tags: Meta tags control how your pages appear in search results. They’re the first thing people see, so boring descriptions get skipped even if you’re ranking in position three. Make them count.
- Title length: Keep titles under 60 characters or Google cuts them off mid-sentence. “SEO Audit Checklist for New Websites” works great. On the flipside, “SEO Audit Checklist for New Websites and Online Stores” gets chopped and looks messy.
- Header tags: Header tags work like a table of contents. Your H1 tells Google the main topic. H2s breakdown sections. H3s cover details. If you skip levels or use them randomly, you’ll confuse everyone trying to read your content.
Your on-page elements are set. Now let’s focus on content quality.
With your technical side locked in, let’s focus on content that earns rankings.
Reality check: search engines rank content that answers real questions. They skip pages stuffed with keywords but lacking substance. Plus, Google can tell the difference between helpful information and fluff written to hit a word count.
But how do you improve content quality? Include specific examples, data, or insights instead of generic advice. Basically, pages with concrete examples consistently outrank vague competitor content.
Also, duplicate content across multiple pages confuses search engines. When Google finds three similar pages targeting “SEO tips,” it doesn’t know which one to rank. What we recommend is that you check for overlapping content before launch and consolidate where needed.
But your on-site content is only half the picture.
Off-page SEO is the fastest way to build authority when you can’t control what happens on your own site.
Three signals tell you how the rest of the web sees your site:
- Backlinks: One quality link from an industry publication carries more weight than 50 links from random directories. It’s because search engines view backlinks as votes of confidence. The more reputable the site linking to you, the more authority you gain in Google’s eyes.
- Brand mentions: These help your SEO health even without links. When forums, social media, or news sites mention your business name, Google notices. These mentions build brand recognition and can indirectly improve your rankings over time.
- Local citations: Listing your business on Google Business Profile, Yelp, and industry directories creates consistency. Search engines use this information to verify your business exists and serves real customers in your area. This becomes especially important if you’re targeting specific cities.
Ready to launch? Here’s your final checklist.
Ready to flip the switch and take your site live?
The payoff for following this SEO audit checklist is launching knowing search engines can find, crawl, and rank your content from day one.
Run one complete crawl using free tools like Screaming Frog to catch broken links, missing meta tags, and more. Once that’s done, verify Google Search Console and Analytics are installed before your first visitor arrives. Then test contact forms, shopping carts, and features across different browsers and devices to ensure everything works.
Proper preparation gives your website the best chance of ranking. Click2Rank’s SEO audit services remove the guesswork for businesses launching new sites.
Contact our team for a quote, or chat with us about solutions that fit your needs.
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