Quick AI Summary
⚠️ 2026 Website Launch: The “First 30 Days” Checklist
Indexing is Not Ranking: Just because Google knows your site exists doesn’t mean it will show it. New sites must prove “Helpful Content” signals immediately.
The “No-Index” Trap: The #1 mistake remains leaving the “Discourage search engines” box checked in WordPress after going live.
Redirect Integrity: If you are migrating an old San Diego business site to a new design, failing to map your 301 redirects will destroy your existing rankings.
Entity Branding: Ensure your “About” and “Contact” pages are clear so AI search engines can instantly connect your new site to your physical San Diego location.
Launching a website is exciting! But it’s important to ensure that your website launch isn’t marred by poor SEO practices. If you want your website to be seen and visited by potential customers, then you need to make sure that it is optimized for search engine indexing.
Here are some common SEO mistakes to avoid during a new website launch.
Poorly Optimized Metadata
Metadata is the information about your page that search engines use to understand what your page is about. It includes titles, meta descriptions, and keywords which should all be carefully tailored and optimized for each individual webpage. If these fields are left blank or poorly populated, they can cause search engine crawlers to misunderstand the content of your pages, resulting in low rankings or even complete exclusion from results pages. To optimize metadata effectively, research relevant keywords related to your business and industry and incorporate them into titles, meta descriptions, and other metadata fields.
Forgetting About Technical SEO
SEO isn’t all about content; technical SEO also plays an important role in how easily search engine crawlers can crawl through your site. This includes everything from making sure all images have alt tags, creating a sitemap for easier navigation, using 301 redirects when necessary, and ensuring the overall speed of the page is fast enough for users not to abandon it due to slow loading times. These technical aspects should all be considered during the web design phase in order for them not to be overlooked upon launch.
Ignoring Mobile Optimization
Nowadays more people than ever before access websites through mobile devices—in fact Google now ranks sites higher if they are mobile-friendly (Source: google developers site) as per its mobile-first indexing). That means any website launched today must be mobile-responsive with sufficient page loading speeds across different devices and internet connections. This is especially true if you plan on running paid ads because Google’s Adwords platform won’t serve ads on websites that are not mobile-friendly.
Launching a new website can be an exciting venture but it’s essential that you consider SEO at every step of the process from design and development through launch day itself if you want it to succeed online. Poorly optimized metadata can lead to misunderstandings by search engines while forgetting about technical SEO can result in long loading times or even exclusion from results pages altogether. Finally don’t forget about mobile optimization since most searches now come from phones as opposed to desktops or laptops—in this day and age if you don’t make it easy for customers on their phones then you risk losing out on valuable traffic sources!
Struggling to get your business on the first page of Google?
Have you been looking for an experienced SEO company, but don’t know who to trust? Jen Ruhman SEO has been helping businesses climb search rankings for years. Our team not only has the experience and knowledge that sets us apart from our competitors but also provides monthly reports so you can track our progress.
Get expert advice from a proven SEO company in San Diego that prioritizes customer satisfaction over anything else. We understand how hard it is for small business owners juggling plenty of responsibilities – let us take some of that weight off your shoulders!
Contact the best SEO company for San Diego small businesses now for a free consultation and discover how we can help your business rank on Google! You won’t regret it. Let’s grow together!
FAQs
Q: My new website is live but I can’t find it on Google. What happened? A: It usually takes Google a few days to a few weeks to crawl a new site. However, the most common culprit is a “noindex” tag left over from the development site or a lack of a submitted XML sitemap in Google Search Console.
Q: Should I change my URL structure when launching a new site? A: Avoid changing URLs if possible. If you must, you must use 301 redirects. Without them, Google treats your new pages as having zero history, and you will lose all the “SEO juice” you built up over the years.
Q: How do I get my new site featured in San Diego local search quickly? A: Immediately update your Google Business Profile with the new URL and ensure your NAP (Name, Address, Phone) on the new site matches your existing citations exactly. Adding “Local Business” schema to the new homepage is also a critical 2026 requirement.
