What SEO Should Be Included in a New Business Website?
By Parker Gawryletz · Local Cochrane Web Design · Last updated: · 8 min read
Every professional web design project should include SEO foundations: a search-intent page map, crawlable and indexable pages, unique titles and meta descriptions, clean heading structure, descriptive internal links, structured data, mobile-friendly performance, and analytics with Search Console verification. Ongoing SEO — content, local signals, and rankings work — is a separate monthly program.
"Is SEO included?" is the question every designer answers with yes — and every business later regrets not defining. What SEO should be included in web design is really two lists: the foundations that belong in every build, and the ongoing program that should never be hidden inside one.
This guide separates the two so you can compare proposals honestly. If you are still choosing a provider, start with the best Cochrane web design companies compared, then use this checklist to test what each one means by "SEO included".
The short answer
- SEO foundations belong in every build; rankings programs are separate monthly work.
- Every page needs one search job, a unique title, and clean headings.
- The site must be crawlable, indexable, and verified in Search Console at launch.
- Structured data must match what visitors can actually see on the page.
- No honest provider guarantees rankings — in a build quote or a monthly program.
SEO foundation versus ongoing SEO
SEO foundation is the technical and on-page setup a website launches with: structure, tags, links, speed, and measurement. Ongoing SEO is the monthly work that builds rankings afterward: content, local signals, and authority. A build quote should include all of the first and none of the second by default.
| Must be in the build | Optional project add-on | Ongoing program |
|---|---|---|
| Search-intent page map and clean URL structure | Extra service or area pages | New content published monthly |
| Unique titles, descriptions and heading order | Copywriting for every page | Content updates and refreshes |
| Crawlable navigation, sitemap and canonical tags | Structured data beyond the basics | Local citations and review growth |
| Analytics and Search Console verification | Keyword research workshop | Rankings reporting and link building |
Google's SEO Starter Guide describes these foundations as making a site easy to find, crawl, and understand — build-level work, not a campaign. Keep the two on separate lines in every proposal so you can compare builds against builds.
Search-intent page map and one job per URL
Before design starts, the build should map each page to one search intent — one job per URL. A Cochrane trades business, for example, needs a page per core service and a page per service area, so each real query has one clear page that can rank for it.
When two pages chase the same query, they compete with each other; when one page chases five queries, it ranks for none. The page map is a short planning exercise that shapes the entire build — ask to see it before any design work begins.
Crawlability, indexability and canonical setup
At launch, search engines must be able to reach, render, and index every important page. That means crawlable navigation links, an XML sitemap, a robots file that does not block the live site, self-referencing canonical tags, and no leftover staging blocks or noindex tags on real pages.
- ☐ Navigation uses real links a crawler can follow
- ☐ XML sitemap generated and referenced in the robots file
- ☐ No noindex tags or robots blocks left over from staging
- ☐ Canonical tags point each page to itself
- ☐ Redirects mapped from every old URL, if a site exists today
If you are replacing an existing site, redirects deserve their own plan. The website redesign migration checklist covers how to move URLs without losing the rankings you already have.
Titles, headings, snippets and image semantics
Every page should launch with a unique title tag written for its query, a meta description written as a plain sentence, one H1, a logical heading order, and images with descriptive file names and alt text. These are the elements search results and AI answers quote directly.
This is writing work as much as technical work, so the quote should say who does it. "Titles and descriptions written for each page" is a real line item; "SEO-friendly" is not. Ask to see two finished examples before launch — a title tag is the easiest deliverable to check.
Internal links and descriptive anchors
The build should link related pages together with anchor text that describes the destination — "kitchen renovation services", never "click here". Internal links tell search engines which pages matter most and what each one is about, and no page should launch as an orphan with nothing pointing to it.
Good internal linking is a build decision, not a campaign: service pages link to related services, area pages link to the services offered there, and every page is reachable from the navigation or another page. Google's documentation treats crawlable, descriptive links as a core requirement, not a bonus.
Structured data that matches visible content
Structured data is code that labels what a page contains — a business, a service, an FAQ — so search engines and AI systems can read it reliably. The build should include at least organization and local business markup, and every claim in the markup must match content visitors can see.
Google's structured data policies are strict on one point: markup must describe the visible page, not decorate it with content that is not there. Ask which schema types the build includes, and confirm the markup is generated from the page itself so the two can never drift apart.
Performance, mobile and accessibility foundations
The build should launch mobile-first, meet Google's published Core Web Vitals thresholds — LCP under 2.5 seconds, INP under 200 milliseconds, CLS under 0.1 — and cover accessibility basics like readable contrast, labelled forms, and keyboard navigation. Speed and usability are part of how Google evaluates pages.
These targets belong in the quote as numbers, verified on real devices before launch rather than promised in a pitch. The full set of speed expectations, and how to hold a provider to them, is in website speed requirements.
Analytics and Search Console verification
Before handover, the site should be verified in Google Search Console with the sitemap submitted, and analytics should be installed with conversion tracking on the contact action. Both accounts should be created under your ownership, so the measurement history stays with the business, not with the provider.
Verification is also your proof the launch worked. Within the first weeks, Search Console shows whether pages are indexed, and a simple site: search confirms the site appears at all. Ask the provider to walk you through both before the project closes — it takes ten minutes.
What should remain a separate ongoing program
Rankings work is ongoing: publishing content, building local signals, earning links and reviews, and reporting on movement. It should be priced as its own monthly program, never bundled invisibly into a build. And no honest provider guarantees rankings — not in a build quote, not in a monthly retainer.
As a planning reference, local SEO services for Cochrane businesses run $600–$1,500 per month in our published ranges, with honest reporting and no ranking guarantees — because no honest company can make one. A solid build gets you ready to compete; the program is how you climb.
Frequently asked questions
Should a web designer include SEO?
Yes — the foundations. A professional build should include a search-intent page map, crawlable structure, unique titles and descriptions, clean headings, internal links, basic structured data, mobile performance, and analytics with Search Console verification. Ongoing rankings work is a separate service and should always be priced separately.
What is basic SEO setup?
Basic SEO setup means the site launches findable and readable: an XML sitemap, correct robots and canonical tags, unique page titles and meta descriptions, one H1 per page, descriptive image alt text, internal links with clear anchors, redirects from any old URLs, and verified analytics and Search Console.
Is ongoing SEO separate from web design?
Yes. Web design delivers the foundation a site launches with. Ongoing SEO is monthly work afterward — publishing content, building local signals, earning reviews and links, and reporting on results. Keep the two on separate lines in any proposal so you can compare build quotes fairly against build quotes.
Should keyword research be included?
Enough research to build the page map should be included: which services and areas get pages, and what each page targets. Deep keyword research — content calendars, competitor gap analysis, search demand studies — is usually part of an ongoing program or a priced add-on, and the quote should say which.
What technical SEO is needed at launch?
At launch a site needs crawlable navigation, an XML sitemap, a robots file that does not block the site, self-referencing canonical tags, no leftover noindex tags, redirects from old URLs if a site existed, mobile-friendly templates, and speed that meets Google's published Core Web Vitals thresholds.
How do I know the site is indexed?
Check Google Search Console: the page indexing report shows which URLs are indexed and why any are not. A quick site: search for your domain confirms pages appear in results at all. If nothing shows after a few weeks, check for noindex tags, robots blocks, or a missing sitemap.
Sources
See our local SEO service — the monthly program that builds on a solid launch — local content, signals, and honest reporting with no ranking guarantees.