When you decide to get a new website, it’s exciting! But that excitement can soon turn to anxiety as you realize how much work actually goes into a successful website launch.
As an SEO Specialist at Volume Nine, I’ve been involved in many launches for all kinds of different websites. When clients take their time, stay organized, and implement our recommendations, we see some really great results! However, when site launches are rushed and the proper steps are not taken, the results can be detrimental. Here are five common pitfalls that could negatively impact your site launch:
- Forgetting to Setup Google Analytics – Make sure GA is properly setup on the new site. You’ll probably want to keep the same UA code on the new site so that you can easily compare site metrics pre/post launch. Even losing one day of tracking can throw off your data for months.
- Not Utilizing 301 Redirects – If you’re launching a new site, chances are some (if not all) of your URLs are changing. Don’t just let your old URLs become 404 errors! They should all be redirected to relevant URLs on the new site.
- Using Generic Page Titles – Title tags are one of the most important on-page elements when it comes to search engine optimization. Make sure your page titles support your most important targeted keywords.
- Having Duplicate Content – Google loves content, but “adding content” shouldn’t mean copying and pasting the same text onto multiple pages of your site or “borrowing” text from other websites. Search engines are good at detecting duplicate content and your site could potentially be penalized. Use relevant, unique content on each of your website pages.
- Hindering Site Indexation – Once your new site is launched, you’ll likely want it to be crawled and indexed by search engines quickly. Don’t interfere with the process! Make sure to update the robots.txt file so that it allows the site to be crawled and don’t leave “noindex” tags on pages that you want to be included in the index.
If these seem overwhelming, we offer comprehensive launch support services and can help you avoid these common pitfalls (among many others) along the way.
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