Search rankings take months to build, but the technical foundations take days, and they’re far easier to get right at launch than to fix later. Before a new site goes live, check that it has the following.
One address per page
Every page should be reachable at a single URL, with the other versions — http and https, www and non-www — permanently redirecting to it, and a canonical tag confirming which version counts.
Redirects from the old site
If addresses change, map each old URL to its closest new page with a 301 redirect. This keeps the search value the old pages had built up and stops visitors hitting dead ends.
A sitemap and sensible robots rules
An XML sitemap lists the pages you want indexed. The robots.txt file should keep private areas such as the admin out of search, without accidentally blocking the whole site.
Titles, descriptions and headings
Each page needs its own title and meta description written for people, and one clear main heading that says what the page is about.
Structured data that matches the page
Schema markup for your organisation, articles and breadcrumbs helps search engines interpret pages. Mark up only what’s actually on the page; invented reviews or ratings can get a site penalised.
Search Console from day one
Verify the site in Google Search Console and submit the sitemap. It’s free, and it’s where Google tells you directly about indexing problems.