Resources & Tools

SEO Checklist for Website Launches (AU): A Practical 30‑Point Guide

By Dominik Kowalski · Updated 21 Aug 2025 · ~12–14 min read

Purpose: Launch with confidence—protect signals, avoid common pitfalls, and ship a site that loads fast and explains itself to users and search engines.

Before Launch

Information Architecture & content mapping

  • Define primary categories and pillar pages; map support articles
  • One target query per URL; avoid duplicate intents
  • Plan internal links: pillar ↔ support; nav ↔ key conversions

Technical baseline

  • Indexability: noindex only where intended; staging blocked with auth
  • Canonical tags on all indexable pages; self‑referential or cluster canonical
  • Robots.txt allows important sections; disallow admin/system only
  • XML sitemap includes canonical URLs; accessible and linked in robots.txt

Content readiness

  • Unique titles and meta descriptions; H1 present and descriptive
  • First 120 words explain the page’s purpose in human language
  • Images have descriptive alt text; decorative images empty alt
  • Clear CTAs and contact paths; accessible contrast and focus states
Go‑Live Day

Data, analytics & privacy

  • Use a separate analytics property from any other brand/site
  • Implement consent and privacy pages (see our Privacy Policy); avoid dark patterns
  • Verify site ownership in Google Search Console (AU target if applicable)
  • Submit XML sitemap in Search Console; fetch a few key URLs

Performance & UX checks

  • Run WebPageTest (Sydney) and Lighthouse; record TTFB/LCP/INP/CLS
  • Compress hero images to AVIF/WebP; lazy‑load below‑the‑fold assets
  • Defer non‑critical JS; remove unused libraries
  • Set a CDN with AU POPs; cache static assets aggressively

Redesign / migration hygiene

  • 301 redirect map: old → best new equivalent; avoid redirect chains
  • Custom 404 page with helpful links and site search
  • Lower DNS TTL 24h before switch; plan a low‑traffic migration window
  • Keep old server 7 days for rollback; monitor logs
After Launch (Day 1–30)

Monitoring & iteration

  • Check Search Console coverage, enhancements, and Page Experience
  • Fix 404 spikes and mis‑mapped redirects within 48 hours
  • Track conversions and core events; compare pre/post where relevant
  • Ship small improvements weekly (titles, internal links, performance)

Post‑launch quick wins

  • Add internal links from trafficked pages to new pillars
  • Publish an FAQ block that addresses actual objections and tasks
  • Link to authoritative sources where helpful (Google, ICANN, auDA)

AU thresholds to aim for: TTFB < 600ms, LCP < 2.5s, INP < 200ms, CLS < 0.1 (Core Web Vitals). If you’re above these after basics, review hosting: Shared vs VPS vs Cloud.

Copy‑paste checklist

  • IA mapped; one intent per URL
  • Indexability confirmed; staging blocked by auth
  • Canonicals set; sitemap clean
  • Titles, metas, H1s unique and human‑readable
  • Images optimised (AVIF/WebP) with alt text
  • CDN live with AU POPs; caching configured
  • Separate analytics property; consent & privacy set
  • Search Console verified; sitemap submitted
  • 301 map tested; custom 404 live
  • Logs & 404 monitoring; fixes in first 48 hours

Related guides

Need a safe pair of hands? We help AU teams ship low‑risk launches and relaunches. Get a pragmatic launch review at Dominik Digital Marketing.

References & official docs