SEO Checklist for a New Website (2026): 40 Steps to Get on Google

Updated 16 October 2026. Adds Search Console's Generative AI performance report and Search generative AI setting, and Google's June 2026 note that Google Search does not use llms.txt.

To get a new website on Google, verify it in Search Console, submit an XML sitemap, make sure nothing blocks crawling or indexing, and publish pages that answer real searches better than the pages already ranking. Then add structured data, make your business easy to identify, earn genuine links and review the data every month. The 40 steps below put that work in order, from technical setup to AI search.

Set expectations early. Google says some changes show within hours and others take months, and suggests waiting a few weeks before judging an SEO change. Indexing a single page typically takes a day or so, but can take a week or two. If you have not launched yet, run our website launch checklist first, because one leftover noindex tag undoes everything below.

Related: Meta Commercial Terms October 30: Website Crawling and What to Do

Technical setup: steps 1 to 10

• 1. Verify a Domain property in Google Search Console. Add the DNS TXT record Google gives you. A Domain property covers every subdomain and both http and https.
• 2. Add the site to Bing Webmaster Tools. Use Import from Search Console, which verifies the site and copies your sitemaps. Bing also reports when Microsoft Copilot cites you (step 35).
• 3. Publish an XML sitemap of canonical, indexable URLs. Use absolute https URLs, up to 50,000 URLs or 50 MB uncompressed per file. Google ignores priority and changefreq, and uses lastmod only when it is consistently accurate.
• 4. Write a robots.txt that allows crawling and lists the sitemap. It is not a way to hide pages: a blocked URL can still be indexed if other sites link to it. Use noindex instead, on a page Google can crawl.
• 5. Set a self-referencing canonical on every indexable page. Use absolute URLs, and point duplicates, such as URLs with tracking parameters, at the main version.
• 6. Force HTTPS and one hostname. Redirect http to https and choose www or non-www, in one 301 hop. Google prefers HTTPS pages as canonical.
• 7. Pass Core Web Vitals on mobile. Google's targets are LCP within 2.5 seconds, INP under 200 milliseconds and CLS under 0.1. Our Core Web Vitals guide shows how to fix each one.
• 8. Make the mobile version complete. Google indexes and ranks the mobile version, so keep the same content, structured data, titles and descriptions on mobile and desktop.
• 9. Check what Google renders. The URL Inspection live test shows whether text, links and markup survive rendering. JavaScript-heavy sites should read JavaScript SEO: SSR vs CSR.
• 10. Request indexing for key pages. In URL Inspection, request indexing for the home page and main service pages. There is a daily limit, so let the sitemap cover the rest. Bing and some other engines also accept IndexNow pings for changed URLs; Google is not on IndexNow's list of participating engines.

On-page basics: steps 11 to 16

• 11. Write a unique, descriptive title for every page. Lead with the topic and end with the brand. Google sets no length limit but truncates titles to fit the screen, so put the important words first.
• 12. Write a unique meta description. Summarize the page and give a reason to click. Google builds most snippets from page text, but uses your description when it describes the page better.
• 13. Use one H1 and clear H2 and H3 headings. The headings alone should outline the page for a skimmer, a screen reader and a crawler.
• 14. Link internally with descriptive anchor text. Every page you care about needs a link from at least one other page, using a real <a href> link and anchor text that makes sense on its own.
• 15. Optimize images. Use short, descriptive file names, useful alt text and standard HTML image elements, since Google does not index CSS background images. Set width and height to avoid layout shift.
• 16. Keep URLs short and readable. Prefer /services/bookkeeping over /page?id=72, and settle the pattern before launch, because changing it later means redirects.

A head section that covers steps 5, 11 and 12 for a hypothetical plumbing company:

<title>Emergency Plumber in Austin, Open 24/7 | Example Plumbing</title>
<meta name="description" content="Licensed emergency plumbers in Austin for burst pipes, leaks and blocked drains. Upfront prices and same-day visits.">
<link rel="canonical" href="https://www.example.com/emergency-plumber-austin">

Content plan: steps 17 to 22

• 17. List the questions buyers ask. Pull them from sales emails, support tickets, call notes and the People also ask box. Each real question becomes a page or a section.
• 18. Match search intent. Search each target phrase and look at what ranks. If the results are guides, write a guide; if they are service pages, build a service page.
• 19. Build topic clusters. Give each service one main page, then add articles that answer narrower questions and link back to it and to each other.
• 20. Show who wrote it and why to trust it. Add author names, short bios and first-hand detail. Google asks you to consider who made the content, how and why, and says E-E-A-T is not a ranking factor by itself.
• 21. Keep trending topics fresh. On fast-moving subjects, update facts as they change, show a visible updated date and match it in dateModified. Change the date only when the content changes; Google's own self-assessment questions ask about faked freshness.
• 22. Skip word counts and mass-produced pages. Google says it has no preferred word count, and pages generated at scale mainly to manipulate rankings break its scaled content abuse policy.

Structured data: steps 23 to 26

• 23. Add Organization markup to the home or About page. Include name, url, logo, sameAs links to official profiles, and contact details. Google lists no required properties, so add what is true and useful.
• 24. Mark up the page types you have. Use Article for posts, BreadcrumbList for navigation, Product for a store and LocalBusiness for a shop or office, in JSON-LD, the format Google recommends.
• 25. Validate before and after launch. Run the Rich Results Test during development, then confirm in URL Inspection that Google found the markup on the live page.
• 26. Do not plan around retired rich results. As of 16 October 2026, Google no longer shows FAQ rich results (they stopped on 7 May 2026), and HowTo is not in its list of supported features. The markup does no harm, but it will not earn those displays.

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Organization",
  "name": "Example Plumbing LLC",
  "url": "https://www.example.com",
  "logo": "https://www.example.com/images/logo.png",
  "telephone": "+1-512-555-0100",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.linkedin.com/company/example-plumbing",
    "https://www.facebook.com/exampleplumbing"
  ]
}
</script>

Our structured data guide has more examples.

Local and entity signals: steps 27 to 30

• 27. Claim and verify your Google Business Profile. If you serve an area, fill every field, keep hours current and add real photos. Google says local results depend mainly on relevance, distance and how well known the business is.
• 28. Use the same name, address and phone everywhere. Match the site footer, Business Profile, Bing Places, directories and social profiles exactly.
• 29. Write an About page that defines the business. Say who you are, where, since when, what you do and who runs it, and link the same official profiles as your sameAs list.
• 30. Ask for reviews and reply to them. Ask happy customers right after delivery. Google notes that replies show you value feedback, so answer critical reviews too, calmly and specifically.

AI search and answer engines: steps 31 to 35

• 31. Stay eligible for Google's AI features. AI Overviews and AI Mode link to pages that are indexed and eligible for a snippet. As of 16 October 2026, Search Console also has a Search generative AI setting under Settings, rolled out to all sites by 31 August 2026. Sites are included by default, so confirm nobody switched it off.
• 32. Allow the crawlers you want, in robots.txt and your CDN. Allow Googlebot and Bingbot for search, and OAI-SearchBot to appear in ChatGPT search. Training crawlers are a separate choice: Google-Extended does not affect Google Search, though it limits training and grounding in some other Google systems, and GPTBot is OpenAI's training crawler.
• 33. Write answer-first, specific pages. Put the direct answer and key facts near the top, in your buyers' words. Google says you do not need special formats or "chunked" text for its AI features.
• 34. Treat llms.txt as optional and unofficial. It is a community proposal from September 2024, not a standard. Google says Google Search does not use it, and that it neither helps nor harms rankings there. Add one only if tools you care about read it.
• 35. Measure AI visibility. Search Console's Generative AI performance report shows impressions in AI Overviews and AI Mode, and Bing Webmaster Tools' AI Performance report, launched as a public preview in February 2026, shows Copilot citations. Each month, ask ten buyer questions in ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini, and log whether you appear. More in our generative engine optimization guide.

A robots.txt that welcomes search crawlers but opts out of model training. Remove the GPTBot and Google-Extended groups if you are happy for your content to be used for training:

User-agent: *
Allow: /

User-agent: GPTBot
Disallow: /

User-agent: Google-Extended
Disallow: /

Sitemap: https://www.example.com/sitemap.xml

Links and digital PR: steps 36 to 38

• 36. Collect the links you have already earned. Suppliers, partners, clients, trade associations and local business groups often list members on request.
• 37. Publish something worth citing. Original data, a free calculator, a template or a sharp local guide gives writers a reason to link. Pitch it to a short list of relevant journalists, with the main finding in the first line.
• 38. Avoid link schemes and label paid links. Buying links for ranking, excessive link swaps and automated link building break Google's spam policies. Mark paid placements with rel="sponsored".

What to measure monthly: steps 39 and 40

• 39. Run the same review every month. Use the table below on a fixed date, and record the numbers in one sheet so trends are visible.
• 40. Turn the numbers into three actions. Each month, fix one technical issue, improve one existing page and publish one new page. Small, steady changes add up.

If you would like a second pair of eyes, contact us. We can review your setup and give you a fixed quote for the fixes you want us to handle. Our web development page explains how we work.

New website SEO FAQ

How long does it take a new website to rank on Google?

Indexing comes first: Google's help says a requested page is typically indexed within a day or so, but it can take a week or two. Ranking takes longer. Specific, low-competition searches can bring visits within weeks, while competitive terms often take months of content and links. Google suggests waiting a few weeks before judging any single change, so track trends monthly rather than daily.

Do I need to submit my website to Google?

Not strictly. Google can find a new site through links, but verifying it in Search Console and submitting a sitemap speeds up discovery and shows you which pages were indexed and why others were skipped. Request indexing for your most important pages, and add the site to Bing Webmaster Tools as well, since it covers Bing and reports Copilot citations.

Is llms.txt worth adding to a new website?

Only if it is cheap for you. llms.txt is an unofficial proposal, first published in September 2024, for a Markdown file that points AI tools to your key pages. Google says Google Search does not use it and that it neither helps nor harms rankings there. Some AI tools and agents may read it, so a short, accurate file does no damage, but it should never come before the steps above.

Does structured data improve rankings?

Not directly. Google says it uses structured data to understand the content of a page and to show rich results, and it recommends JSON-LD, but it does not describe markup as a ranking boost. Some rich results have been retired, including FAQ results in May 2026. Add Organization, Article, Breadcrumb, Product or LocalBusiness markup where it is true, because it makes your business easier for machines to identify.

Should I block AI crawlers on a new website?

Decide crawler by crawler. Search crawlers such as Googlebot, Bingbot and OAI-SearchBot fetch the pages that appear in search results and AI answers, so most businesses should allow them. Training crawlers such as GPTBot and Google-Extended are a separate choice, and blocking Google-Extended does not affect Google Search. If your content is your product, opting out of training can make sense; if you sell services, visibility usually matters more.

Sources

• Google: SEO Starter Guide
• Search Console Help: Add a website property
• Search Console Help: URL Inspection tool
• Bing Webmaster Blog: Import sites from Search Console
• IndexNow
• Google: Build and submit a sitemap
• Google: Robots.txt introduction
• Google: Specify a canonical URL
• Google: Understanding Core Web Vitals
• Google: Mobile-first indexing best practices
• Google: Influencing title links
• Google: Snippets and meta descriptions
• Google: SEO link best practices
• Google: Image SEO best practices
• Google: Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content
• Google: Byline dates
• Google: Spam policies
• Google: Qualify outbound links
• Google: Intro to structured data
• Google: Organization structured data
• Google: Structured data search gallery
• Google: Documentation updates
• Google Business Profile Help: Tips to improve your local ranking
• Google: AI features and your website
• Google: Optimizing for generative AI features
• Search Console Help: Search generative AI control
• Search Console Help: Generative AI performance report
• Google: Common crawlers, including Google-Extended
• OpenAI: Overview of OpenAI crawlers
• llmstxt.org: The llms.txt proposal
• Bing Webmaster Blog: AI Performance in Bing Webmaster Tools