Site Launch SEO: Lessons Learned From a Decade of Experience

Launching a new website or even just redesigning an existing one? Buckle up, because you’re in for a wild ride—especially when it comes to SEO. It’s a bit like walking a tightrope while juggling chainsaws; one wrong move and you could see your precious organic traffic plummet faster than you can say “algorithm update.”

But hey, chin up! We’ve all been there. Think of this article as your trusty SEO survival guide, packed with battle-tested wisdom from the trenches of countless site launches. We’re talkin’ real-world lessons learned the hard way, so you don’t have to.

The Peril of Excluding Low-Traffic Pages from Redirects

We get it, when you’re staring at a spreadsheet with thousands of pages, it’s tempting to cherry-pick the “important” ones for redirects. After all, who cares about that ancient blog post about crocheting tea cozies that gets like, two visits a year? Well, Google might, and here’s why…

Problem: Each of those “insignificant” pages, while maybe not traffic powerhouses on their own, contribute to your site’s overall visibility. Ignoring them during a redirect can lead to a “death by a thousand cuts” scenario for your organic traffic.

Example: Picture this: a massive e-commerce site with thousands of product pages. They decide to redirect only their top five-hundred highest-traffic pages during a redesign. Sounds reasonable, right? Wrong. The result? A significant drop in organic traffic because all those other pages, even with their low individual traffic, collectively brought in a substantial chunk of visitors. Ouch.

Solution: Don’t be a hero; redirect as many pages as humanly possible. Channel your inner Marie Kondo and ask yourself, “Does this page spark organic traffic joy?” If the answer is anything other than a hard “no,” redirect it. Work closely with your web development comrades to create a comprehensive redirect strategy using those magical “301 redirects.” Trust us, your future self (and your traffic) will thank you.

The Importance of Thorough Redirect Testing

Okay, so you’ve diligently mapped out all your redirects like a digital Lewis and Clark. You’re a regular SEO pioneer! But hold your horses there, partner. Just because you’ve planned it doesn’t mean it’s perfect. Redirects can be sneaky little devils, full of unexpected twists and turns.

Problem: Even the most well-intentioned redirects can go haywire. We’re talking redirect chains (like a never-ending game of website hot potato), redirect loops (where a page keeps redirecting back to itself, like a dog chasing its tail), and those pesky incorrect “302 redirects” that are only meant to be temporary but somehow become permanent residents.

Solution: Always, and we mean ALWAYS, test your redirects after launch. Think of it like a final dress rehearsal before the big premiere. You wouldn’t want your lead actor to trip over a stray cable on opening night, would you? Use tools like Screaming Frog and WhereGoes to crawl your site and sniff out any redirect shenanigans. And hey, don’t put all your eggs in one basket; using multiple tools is like having a second opinion, just in case.

User Experience Changes: A Potential Traffic Killer

We know, we know, you’re super excited about the sleek new design for your website. It’s gonna be all modern and minimalist and stuff. But before you go full-on Picasso on your site’s user experience, take a deep breath and listen up.

Problem: Drastically changing your site’s design, navigation, or even the checkout process without proper testing is like playing UX roulette. You might get lucky, but chances are you’ll end up with confused and frustrated visitors bouncing from your site faster than you can say “conversion rate.”

Example: Remember that time a certain furniture giant decided to “refresh” their website? They thought they were being all trendy and innovative, but it turned into a total hot mess. The new design made it impossible to find anything, and the checkout process was like navigating a labyrinth blindfolded. The result? Their traffic tanked, and their conversion rates went down the drain. Don’t be like that furniture giant.

Solution: UX testing is your new best friend. Get real users to test your site before it launches and see how they interact with it. Are they able to find what they’re looking for? Are they rage-quitting the checkout process? This valuable feedback can help you iron out any UX wrinkles before you unleash your new site on the world. And hey, a little help from a skilled UX team never hurt anyone, right?

The Necessity of Early SEO Involvement

Alright, folks, gather ’round and listen closely because this is SEO truth bomb number one: SEO should never be an afterthought. It’s not your website’s awkward prom date; it’s the cool kid at school everyone wants to hang out with.

Problem: Too often, SEO gets shoved into a dark corner until the eleventh hour of a website project. By then, it’s like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole—you’re stuck making compromises and playing catch-up. This can lead to missed opportunities, avoidable technical issues, and a whole lotta SEO headaches.

Solution: Invite SEO to the party early and often! Make SEO an integral part of every stage of your website launch process, from the initial strategy meetings to the final post-launch review. Here’s the deal:

• Strategy Meetings: Get SEO in the room when you’re brainstorming the website’s goals, target audience, and overall roadmap.
• Wireframe/Information Architecture Reviews: SEO can provide valuable input on how to structure your site for optimal crawlability and user experience.
• Design/UX Discussions: Yes, even designers need a dose of SEO reality. SEO can ensure that design elements don’t negatively impact your site’s search engine visibility.
• Keyword Research for New Pages: Don’t just guess what keywords people are searching for. SEO pros can conduct thorough keyword research to inform your content strategy.
• Staging Site Access and Reviews: Give SEO early access to the staging site to identify and address any technical issues before they go live.
• 301 Redirect Strategy: Remember those redirects we talked about earlier? SEO should be heavily involved in planning and implementing them.
• Post-Launch Review: Once the site is live, SEO can monitor its performance, identify any lingering issues, and make necessary adjustments.

The Power of Cross-Team Collaboration and Education

Here’s the thing about SEO: it’s not a solo sport. It takes a village, people! To truly rock your site launch SEO, you need buy-in and collaboration from all teams involved.

Problem: Sometimes, SEO gets treated like the redheaded stepchild of website projects—misunderstood and often ignored. This can stem from a lack of understanding of SEO’s importance and how it impacts the overall success of the website.

Solution: Become an SEO evangelist! Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to educate your colleagues and spread the SEO gospel far and wide. Here’s how:

• Educate Other Teams on SEO’s Value: Use data and case studies to demonstrate how SEO can drive traffic, leads, and ultimately, revenue.
• Establish Clear Processes and Documentation: Outline SEO best practices and make sure everyone involved understands their role in the process.
• Provide Training on SEO Best Practices: Host workshops or lunch-and-learns to educate your colleagues on the basics of SEO and how it impacts their work.

Remember, teamwork makes the dream work! By fostering a collaborative environment and empowering other teams with SEO knowledge, you’ll increase the chances of a successful—and traffic-boosting—site launch.

Bonus Round: Post-Launch SEO Checklist

Congratulations, you survived the site launch! Pop the champagne and give yourself a pat on the back. But wait, the SEO journey doesn’t end there. Here’s a handy-dandy checklist to make sure your new site is firing on all SEO cylinders:

• Submit Your XML Sitemap to Google Search Console: This helps Google discover and index your new pages faster.
• Double-Check Your Robots.txt File: Make sure you haven’t accidentally blocked any important pages from being crawled.
• Monitor Your Site’s Performance in Google Analytics: Keep a close eye on your traffic, bounce rates, and conversion rates to identify any issues or areas for improvement.
• Be Patient and Don’t Panic: It takes time for SEO to work its magic. Don’t expect to see overnight results. Just keep creating awesome content, building high-quality backlinks, and following SEO best practices.

Conclusion

There you have it, folks—a crash course in site launch SEO, seasoned with real-world experience and a dash of humor (because, let’s face it, SEO can be a bit dry sometimes). Remember, site launches are inherently risky for your SEO, but with careful planning, meticulous execution, and a healthy dose of collaboration, you can mitigate those risks and set your new website up for success.

So, go forth, fellow SEO adventurers, and may your site launches be smooth, your traffic plentiful, and your rankings legendary!