Starting a website seems easy until you actually try it. Then you’re knee-deep in hosting plans, SEO advice, and blog posts telling you to “just create great content” without explaining what that even means.

If you’ve launched before, you’ve probably felt that. If you’re doing it for the first time, we will save you some trial and error: visibility doesn’t come automatically. And traffic isn’t something you can bolt on later. It has to be baked in from the start.

Continue reading: Is It Time to Migrate Your Website? Here's Why Your Business Might Depend on It

And while tools and algorithms change, one thing stays the same: the sites that grow are the ones that get the fundamentals right early.

If you’re building a new site from scratch, here’s what you should really focus on in the early days.

1. Start With the Foundation: Speed, Mobile, and Structure

Before we talk about content or marketing, your website needs to function well. That means it loads quickly, looks clean, and works on every screen size.

Fast Loading Is Non-Negotiable

We all bounce from slow sites. So will your visitors. And it’s not just about user experience because it also directly affects rankings and visibility. According to Google’s Web.Dev, 53% of mobile users leave a page if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load.

Continue reading: The Truth About Page Speed & SEO In 2025: What Really Matters?

From our experience, here’s what actually improves load time:

• Compress every image before upload. Tools like TinyPNG or Squoosh are lifesavers.
• Skip heavy page builders (Elementor, we are looking at you).
• Pick a fast host. Personally, we have had great results with Rocket.net and SiteGround.
• Limit plugins. One well-coded feature is better than five clashing ones.

And yes, hosting matters. Speed isn’t just about your images but it's also about your server.

A few reliable hosting providers for beginners and small teams:

• SiteGround – Solid performance and user-friendly dashboards
• net – Optimized for speed right out of the box
• Netlify or Vercel – Great for static sites and developers (and they’re fast + free for small projects)

Fast websites win. They convert better. They rank better. They feel better.

Don’t Skip Mobile Optimization

Mobile traffic now accounts for more than 50% of all web visits worldwide (Statista, 2024), but most builders only test on desktop. So your site needs to feel native on mobile.

Here’s what to check:

• Text should be readable without zooming.
• Buttons should be big enough to tap without mistakes.
• Navigation should be simple and thumb-friendly.
• Popups should be minimal or avoid them entirely on mobile.

Don’t just resize your browser and call it “mobile-friendly.” Use a real phone. Try visiting your own site from your phone. Pretend you're a new visitor. Check tap targets, scrolling, and load time on 4G. Does it feel smooth? If not, fix it before launch.

2.  Get On-Page SEO Right From the Start

There’s no reason to wait on SEO. It doesn’t need to be advanced, but it does need to be in place early.

Here’s what “good enough” SEO looks like on day one:

• One clear H1 heading per page.
• Descriptive title tags and meta descriptions.
• Alt text for every image (it helps with both accessibility and search).
• Internal links between related pages.
• Clean, keyword-friendly URLs (like /about-us instead of /page?id=12).

You can use free tools like Screaming Frog (free for up to 500 URLs) to scan your pages and spot technical gaps. It’s beginner-friendly, and great for finding missing meta tags, broken links, or duplicate content.

From our experiences at FoxAdvert, Meta descriptions don’t directly affect rankings, but they absolutely affect clicks. I’ve seen pages double their traffic just from rewriting descriptions to better match search intent.

Long-Tail Keywords Are Your Entry Point

If your site is new, forget trying to rank for “marketing” or “personal finance.” You’re not going to beat HubSpot or NerdWallet out of the gate.

Instead, aim for long-tail keywords and specific searches with lower competition. Think:

• “budgeting tips for new freelancers”
• “how to choose a web host for small business”
• “best time to plant tomatoes in Florida”

Start small. Niche down. Use keyword tools like Ubersuggest or even Google’s autocomplete to find questions people are asking.

Example:

Don’t go for “fitness tips.” Go for “workout plan for postpartum moms at home.”

That’s long-tail. It’s focused. And it actually gets searches with low competition.

These phrases may not get thousands of searches, but they attract people who are actually looking for what you offer.

Long-tail traffic builds trust. It brings in your first email signups, your first comments, your first sales. These visitors convert more because you’re solving their exact problem.

3. Clear Content Is Better Than Clever Content

Your content should explain who you are, what you do, and how you help. That’s it.

Don’t overthink it. You don’t need to be witty, edgy, or poetic. You just need to be clear.

Some examples of solid homepage messaging:

• “Affordable web design for small businesses in Austin.”
• “Personal fitness coaching for busy moms.”
• “Local plumbing service, 24/7 emergency calls.”

When in doubt, say what it is. Your content’s first job is to make people understand.

4. Backlinks Is Still the #1 Ranking Signal

Let’s talk about backlinks, because people love to skip this part. This is where most new site owners get stuck.

They write. They wait. They wonder why Google isn’t ranking their “high-quality” content.

Continue reading: What Are Backlinks and Why Your Business Needs Them To Succeed Online

Some will tell you Google cares more about “EEAT” (experience, expertise, authority, trustworthiness). And yes, EEAT sounds nice. But here’s the thing: Google’s core algorithm still runs on PageRank, which is driven by links.

You won’t rank in competitive spaces without links. You can write the most useful blog post in your industry, but if nobody links to it? You’re not making it to page one. Period.

At FoxAdvert, we believe that the easiest time to get backlinks is Right when you launch.

Why? Because you have something new to promote. A new website is a legitimate reason to do outreach. In the first few months of a site’s life, you’ll never have a better excuse to do outreach:

• Announce the launch with a press release.
• Share it in communities.
• Reach out to local directories or niche blogs.
• Offer guest posts on topics you actually know.

Here’s what we tell clients:

“If you don’t get backlinks in the first 60 days, your site might not get indexed properly, let alone rank.”

You only need 3–5 solid links early on to start seeing movement.

There are four ways to get backlinks:

1. Do nothing and hope someone links to you (rare, but it happens).
2. Buy them (risky and usually against Google’s guidelines).
3. Guest posts and link outreach (slow, but reliable).
4. Build your own (from side projects, supporting microsites, etc.)

Also, pro tip: Bing Webmaster Tools gives you free access to backlink data and not just for your site, but for any site. Want to see where your competitors are getting links from? That’s where to start.

5. Write, Then Promote. Don’t Just “Publish and Pray”

You’ll hear the phrase “just write great content” a lot. That’s only half the truth.

Yes, your content needs to be helpful. It should answer real questions, provide real value, and show people you know what you’re talking about. But if nobody sees it, it doesn’t matter.

So here’s a strategy that works:

1. Write 5–10 solid, helpful blog posts (with your name as the author).
2. Create an author bio that positions you as someone who knows the topic.
3. Start pitching guest posts to related blogs or media outlets.
4. Link back to your content when appropriate (naturally, not forcefully).

This isn’t about “gaming” Google. It’s about showing up in the places your audience already trusts.

6. Build a Site That Matches Your Marketing Plan

Don’t build a site then figure out how to market it.

Before you even start designing pages, ask yourself:

• Who’s your audience?
• What social media platforms do they use?
• Do you plan to run ads?
• Are you going to post blogs? Videos? Infographics?
• How often can you realistically create content?
• What kinds of content do they consume?
• What are my competitors doing that I’m not?

You don’t need to be everywhere. You just need to be where your people already are. Build a site that fits your strategy, not the other way around.

7. Don’t Forget Local SEO

If you’re running a local business or even a hybrid one, set up your Google Business profile.

• Add your business info, services, photos, and hours.
• Post weekly updates (Google likes signs of activity).
• Ask for reviews,

This helps you show up in Google Maps and local packs. This is the prime real estate for any business trying to reach a local audience.

Tips: Upload photos. It helps ranking, but also trust. Sites with real photos feel more legitimate and people are more likely to contact you.

8. Internal Links: Low Effort, High Impact

Another often-skipped step: link between your own pages. Internal linking is one of the lowest-effort, highest-reward SEO actions you can take. Google uses internal links to crawl and understand your site. They also keep users on your site longer, which helps both SEO and conversions.

Simple things like:

• Linking your blog post to your services page.
• Adding a “related articles” section.
• Creating a hub page that connects to deeper guides.

It is a small stuff, but it adds up. Any time you publish a new page or blog post, ask: “Where can I link to this from inside the site?”

And don't forget to link back to your main pages from blog posts. This is how blog traffic becomes conversions.

9. Build Authority With One Post, One Pitch at a Time

Don’t hide behind “admin.” Use your real name. Build an author page. Position yourself as someone who knows your topic.

Once you’ve got 10–12 posts published under your name, start pitching guest posts. Outreach works better when people see you’ve actually published content and know your voice.

Pro tip: Tailor your author bio for each publication. Make yourself sound credible in their niche and show your relevancy.

Final Thought: Launch Imperfect, Then Improve

Don’t build a perfect site. Build a useful one. Launch early, learn fast, and fix what matters.

Start small. Focus on clarity, speed, SEO, and visibility. Don’t waste time chasing perfection when no one’s watching yet. Instead, use your early days to build momentum.

If you don’t have traffic, people won’t care that your font isn’t quite right. But if you do the right things early, traffic will come. Then you can polish.

Let's Work Together With FoxAdvert

At FoxAdvert, we specialize in helping local businesses uncover what’s holding them back and build digital marketing strategies that actually work.

From optimizing your Google Business Profile and fixing technical SEO issues to targeting the right local keywords and improving your website experience, we take a practical, data-driven approach to get you found by the right customers.

Whether you need a full local SEO audit, help building authority in your niche, or simply want to start measuring what’s really driving results FoxAdvert is here to guide you step by step.

No hype, just strategies that bring clarity and results.

Let’s talk about how we can align your SEO strategy with business outcomes, starting with the foundations that matter most. Schedule your free strategy session now!

🔍Get started today with FoxAdvert!