Most launch SEO failures are boring: expired TLS, empty meta descriptions, OG images that 404, or a robots.txt that blocks /pricing. This checklist is for founders shipping a marketing site or app landing page - work top to bottom; each step links to a free tool on useneedle.net/tools.
Pair technical health with demand research: conversation demand vs SEO and free Trending Problems.
Pre-launch vs post-launch
| Phase | Focus |
|---|---|
| Pre-launch | HTTPS, meta/OG on homepage + pricing, sitemap, robots sanity |
| Post-launch (week 1) | GSC submission, OG on blog template, llms.txt if AI matters |
| Post-launch (month 1) | Re-run checks after redesign; fix 404s from launch PR |
1. HTTPS and certificate validity
Browsers and crawlers treat bad TLS as untrustworthy.
- Certificate chain valid, not expired
- HTTP → HTTPS redirect where expected
- No mixed-content warnings on key pages
Tool: SSL Certificate Checker
2. Robots, sitemap, crawlability
Search engines and many AI crawlers read robots.txt and your sitemap first.
-
/sitemap.xmlresolves and lists homepage, pricing, blog index, key docs -
robots.txtdoes not disallow/,/pricing, or/blog - Sitemap URLs return 200 (not redirect chains to 404)
- No accidental
Disallow: /in staging copied to production
Tools: Sitemap.xml Validator · Google Indexing Checker
3. Title, description, canonical
Every money page needs:
- Unique title (≤60 chars where possible; lead with category)
- Unique meta description (benefit + wedge; not keyword soup)
- Canonical URL on templates that could duplicate (filters, tags)
Check homepage, pricing, and your top guide pillars.
Tool: Meta Tags Checker
4. Open Graph and Twitter cards
When someone shares your link in Slack or LinkedIn:
-
og:title,og:description,og:urlpresent -
og:imageloads over HTTPS - Image ≥ ~1200×630 recommended for sharp crops
- Twitter card tags present or OG fallback works
Tool: OG Share Image Checker
5. Favicon and touch icons
-
/favicon.icoor linked icons resolve - Apple touch icon if you care about mobile bookmarks
Tool: Favicon Checker
6. Structured data (JSON-LD)
- Organization or WebSite schema on homepage
- Article schema on blog posts (if your template supports it)
- FAQ schema only where FAQs are visible on page (no hidden spam)
Validate with Google Rich Results Test after template changes.
7. GEO, llms.txt, and AI crawlers (2026+)
Classic SEO gets you eligible to rank. AI answer engines (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini) also need clear, quotable structure.
- Publish
llms.txtor/.well-known/llms.txtif you want explicit AI guidance - Review AI crawler user-agents in
robots.txt(GPTBot, Google-Extended, etc.) - allow/disallow intentionally - Headings, FAQs, and comparison tables LLMs can cite
- Entity consistency: same product name and URL everywhere
Tools: GEO & LLM Site Analyzer · llms.txt guide
8. Performance basics (quick wins)
You do not need perfect Core Web Vitals on day one, but avoid:
- Hero images multi-MB uncompressed
- Render-blocking third-party scripts on homepage
- Client-only content for primary H1 (bad for crawlers)
Run Lighthouse once before launch; fix red flags on homepage only.
9. After technical health: conversation demand
Pages do not create pipeline alone. Run a weekly check:
- One phrase searched on Reddit + HN
- Landing copy updated from real quotes (positioning guide)
- Trending Problems scan for category momentum
Search docs describe multi-platform research when you outgrow manual tabs.
Quick reference table
| Step | Free tool |
|---|---|
| TLS | SSL Checker |
| Sitemap | Sitemap Validator |
| Crawl basics | Google Indexing Checker |
| Meta | Meta Tags Checker |
| OG | OG Share Image Checker |
| Favicon | Favicon Checker |
| GEO / llms.txt | GEO & LLM Analyzer |
Launch day smoke test (10 minutes)
- Open homepage in incognito - TLS padlock OK?
- Share pricing URL in Slack - preview looks correct?
- Fetch
robots.txtandsitemap.xml- no surprises? - Run GEO analyzer once - critical warnings addressed?
Related reading
- SaaS technical checklist - engineering decisions before launch
- llms.txt & AI crawlers guide
- How to launch on Product Hunt