SEO for a new website: what to do in the first 30 days

Start with the right expectation

A new website rarely receives stable search traffic immediately. Search engines need time to discover pages, understand them and compare them with existing results. Treat the first weeks as setup and observation, not as an exam where you must already rank first.

Week 1: make sure the site can be indexed

• Public pages open without authentication.
• No accidental noindex on production.
• robots.txt does not block important sections.
• Sitemap contains the public URLs you actually want indexed.
• Important pages have a unique title and clear H1.
• HTTPS works and duplicate URL variants are controlled.

Connect Search Console

Search Console is not only for “request indexing”. It shows which pages Google knows, which queries generate impressions and whether crawling or indexing has technical problems. In the first month it replaces guessing with facts.

Build pages around search intent

“Website development price” and “how to build a website yourself” contain the same word but need different answers. A service page should explain the offer, price factors and next step. A guide should teach. Trying to answer every intent on one page usually makes it vague.

Write down 10–20 real questions customers ask before buying. They are a strong foundation for service pages and articles.

Week 2: improve structure and internal links

Connect related pages naturally. A guide about choosing a website format can link to the relevant service; a service page mentioning SEO can link to a deeper SEO guide. Keep the hierarchy simple so important pages are one or two clicks away.

Week 3: improve pages using early data

Look at the queries that already generate impressions. If Google shows an e-commerce page mainly for price-related searches, that may signal that visitors need a clearer pricing section. Add missing information before rewriting the whole page.

Week 4: publish genuinely useful content

A good blog is not a daily obligation. One detailed guide that solves a real problem is more valuable than five thin posts “for activity”. Include examples, steps, limitations and situations where the advice does not apply.

What not to do in the first month

• Do not buy hundreds of random backlinks.
• Do not generate dozens of near-duplicate “service + city” pages.
• Do not change titles every day hoping to trick the algorithm.
• Do not stuff the same keyword into every sentence.
• Do not judge SEO by one manually checked ranking.

Measure more than ranking position

Track the number of pages receiving impressions, new queries, clicks and conversions. If impressions grow but clicks do not, improve the search snippet. If clicks arrive but enquiries do not, the problem may be the offer, trust or UX rather than SEO.

If the business is local

For a studio, workshop or local service, make the real service area, contacts and opening hours consistent. Use the same company name everywhere and avoid creating dozens of empty city pages without unique useful information.