Launching a new website is exciting, but hitting the “publish” button is only the beginning. Many business owners assume that once a site goes live, customers will automatically start flowing in. Unfortunately, that does not work.
To get discovered, build authority, and convert visitors into clients, you need to take a few strategic steps immediately after launch. These include:
Verifying your Website on Google Search Console
This is the single most important step after publishing. Google Search Console (GSC) tells Google that your site exists and helps monitor how users find you. Think of this as your website’s direct communication channel with Google, and skipping it is like opening a store but never telling the map services you exist.
Why it matters:
- Your pages won’t rank if Google can’t crawl or index them.
- GSC shows errors, broken pages, missing metadata, and indexing problems.
- You can submit your sitemap for faster indexing.
If you skip this step, your website may remain invisible to search engines for weeks or months.
A Step-by-Step Action Plan:
- Go to Google Search Console and sign in with a Google Account
- Add a “Property” (your website). You can add your site by URL prefix (e.g.,
https://yourwebsite.com) - Choose a Verification Method. This can be an HTML File Upload, HTML Tag, or via your Domain Host
Submit an XML Sitemap
Don’t just verify and leave! You will need to submit your site Map and request Indexing of your key pages. A sitemap is a file that lists all your important pages. It tells Google exactly what to crawl and index.
Benefits:
- Faster discovery of your pages
- Better crawl efficiency
- Ensures your full site (not just the homepage) gets indexed
Most CMS platforms, such as WordPress, create sitemaps automatically; you need to submit them via Search Console.
Install Google Analytics (GA4)
Think of your website as a new storefront. Google Analytics (specifically, GA4) is your customer tracking system, security camera, and sales register all in one. It provides the crucial “what happens after the click” data that Google Search Console begins. While GSC shows you how people find you, GA4 reveals what they do on your site.
Without analytics, you are operating in the dark. You might get traffic, but you won’t know who your visitors are, what they care about, or where you’re losing them. Data from GA4 is the foundation for all informed marketing and website improvement decisions.
Google Analytics helps you track:
- Website traffic
- User behavior
- Conversion events
- Traffic sources (Google, social media, ads, direct visits)
This data is essential for improving SEO and making informed marketing decisions.
Set Up Your Google Business Profile (Formerly Google My Business)
Think of your Google Business Profile as your 24/7 digital storefront that appears before users even click on your website. For any business that serves customers at a physical location or within a specific service area, this is arguably the most powerful and most immediate local SEO tool you can activate. It puts your business directly on the map, in the most literal sense.
When someone searches for “plumber near me,” “best cafe,” or “emergency dentist,” Google’s primary goal is to serve the most relevant, trustworthy local results instantly. A fully optimized and verified Google Business Profile is your ticket to appearing in these prime positions: the Local Map Pack (the top 3 listings), Google Maps, and local organic results. It builds credibility and captures high-intent customers at the exact moment they’re ready to act.
Google Business Profile helps your website appear in:
- Google Maps
- Local search results
- The “Local 3-Pack” (top 3 local business listings)
Add photos, hours, services, and contact details, and keep it updated.
Run a Comprehensive Technical SEO Check
Think of your website as a high-performance vehicle. You can have the most stunning design and compelling content (the paint and interior), but if the engine is faulty, the transmission is sluggish, or the brakes don’t work, you’re not going anywhere, or worse, you’ll break down. Technical SEO is the engine, transmission, and brakes of your website. It’s the foundational health that allows Google to crawl, understand, and rank your site, and for users to have a seamless experience.
This checks for :
- Broken links
- Missing metadata
- Slow page speed
- Mobile responsiveness
- Duplicate content
- JavaScript rendering issues
- SSL/HTTPS issues
Technical SEO affects both ranking and user experience.
Create Valuable Content Beyond the Home Page
Many new websites have only one solid page: the landing page. But for SEO, Google expects multiple pages with useful, original content.
Create pages for:
- Services
- About Us
- FAQs
- Portfolio or case studies
- Blog articles
- Contact details
The more relevant content you provide, the more keywords you can rank for.
Start Building a Strategic Backlink Profile
Think of backlinks as votes of confidence from the web. When a high-quality, relevant website links to yours, it signals to Google that your content is valuable, trustworthy, and an authority on the subject. This remains the single most powerful off-page ranking factor. However, the era of spamming forums and buying links is long dead. Today, it is about earning relevance and building digital relationships.
A robust backlink profile acts like a chorus of credible voices telling Google, “This site is a reliable resource.” Without these signals, you’ll struggle to compete for competitive keywords, no matter how perfect your on-page SEO is. Backlinks directly fuel your site’s Domain Authority and Page Authority, crucial metrics that predict ranking potential.
Easy ways to start:
- List your business on local directories
- Guest post on blogs
- Partner with complementary businesses
- Share useful resources on social platforms
- Encourage clients to link back to you
Connect Your Website to Social Media
Share your site on:
- TikTok
- YouTube
- Twitter/X
These social signals help with brand visibility and initial traffic, which Google sees as a positive ranking indicator.
Test Your Website’s Speed and Mobile Friendliness
Most users visit websites from mobile devices. A slow or poorly optimized site drives them away — and hurts SEO.
Use tools like:
- Google PageSpeed Insights
- GTmetrix
- Lighthouse (in Chrome DevTools)
Fix issues like large images, unnecessary scripts, and slow server response time.
For more information on website ranking and SEO, talk to us via info@techtabbs.com, marytabbs@gmail.com, or call us on +254706926943