Webflow SEO checklist for every launch

Why a Webflow-specific checklist helps

Webflow ships fast and looks great, but small misses can slow growth. This checklist keeps your launch tight: clean titles, light pages, clear links, and simple tracking. Follow it once per project and you will avoid most SEO problems.

Project setup (before design)

• Custom domain ready: Buy and park the domain. Decide on www or non-www and stick to it.
• Staging plan: Use Webflow staging for review. Do not let Google index it.
• Topic map: Pick 3–4 service hubs with 6–10 support posts each. You will link these later.

Global site settings in Webflow

• Favicon and web clip: Add both. Small, compressed PNG or SVG.
• Global meta: Set a short default title pattern in Site Settings. Keep it clean.
• Open Graph defaults: Upload one light OG image with your brand colors. 1.91:1 works well.
• Robots.txt: Allow crawling on production. Block staging subdomains.
• Minify: Turn on CSS and JS minify in Publishing options.

Hosting and performance

• Fast hosting: Use Webflow’s CDN. Turn on “Use secure frame headers.”
• WWW redirect: Set the primary domain and add the other as a redirect.
• HTTP→HTTPS: Force SSL in Hosting settings.

Page basics (every static page)

• Title tag: Promise + brand. Aim for 50–60 characters.
• Meta description: Outcome + next step in 140–160 characters.
• Slug: Short, lowercase, hyphenated. No dates unless needed.
• H1: One per page. Clear and short.

Content structure that wins quick answers

• Answer block: Two lines under the first H2 that give the quick answer.
• Steps or sections: Use H2 and H3. Keep paragraphs short.
• FAQ block: Three to five real questions at the end.

Images and media

• Formats: Use WebP for photos and SVG for simple art.
• Size: Right-size hero images; aim for 150–300 KB when possible.
• Alt text: Describe the image in plain words. No stuffing.
• Lazy load: Use lazy loading below the fold.
• Background video: Avoid on the homepage hero. It often hurts LCP.

Core Web Vitals quick setup

• LCP: Preload the hero image using a link preload in the head code.
• CLS: Set fixed sizes for images and embeds so layout does not jump.
• INP: Keep custom scripts light. Defer anything not needed for the first paint.

Navigation, footer, and internal links

• Header: 5 or fewer top links. One clear button.
• Footer: Link to hubs, services, and contact. No link walls.
• Up, across, down: On each post, link up to the hub, across to two peers, and down to the matching service page.

CMS Collections (Blogs, Case studies, etc.)

• Fields: Title, short description, author, main image, slug, publish date, last updated date.
• SEO template: In the Collection page settings, set dynamic title and meta using fields.
• Open Graph template: Pull the main image. Keep a safe fallback.

Schema and structured data

• Organization: Add basic Organization JSON-LD sitewide (name, URL, logo).
• Article: Add Article/BlogPosting JSON-LD on posts. Use dynamic fields.
• FAQPage: Only when an FAQ block is visible.
• HowTo: Only when steps are present and marked up correctly.

Redirects and legacy URLs

• Map old paths: If you moved from another CMS, list old URLs vs new slugs.
• 301s: Add redirects in Webflow → Publishing → 301 Redirects.
• Catch-alls: Redirect deep legacy folders to the closest match, not only the homepage.

Sitemap and indexing

• Sitemap.xml: Let Webflow auto-generate it.
• Noindex: Apply noindex to thank-you pages, search results, test pages, and staging.
• Canonical tags: Use canonicals on paginated or variant pages.

Analytics and tracking

• Search Console: Verify the domain property and submit your sitemap.
• Analytics: Add GA4 or your tool of choice via global code. Load it after the first paint.
• Events: Track the main CTA click, form submit, and phone or WhatsApp taps.

Accessibility basics

• Strong color contrast for text and buttons.
• Meaningful link text. No “click here.”
• Logical heading order. Do not skip levels.
• Alt text on informative images.
• Focus styles visible for keyboard users.

Home and service pages that convert

• Above the fold: One promise, one proof, one button.
• Social proof: Stat, logos, or a short quote.
• Process: Three to five steps with clear labels.
• FAQ: Real questions from sales calls.
• CTA: Repeat the main action at the end.

Blog post template you can reuse

• H1: Clear outcome.
• Answer block: Two lines below the first H2.
• Steps or sections: Short lists; one idea per paragraph.
• Example: A mini case, a short template, or a screenshot with alt text.
• FAQ: Three to five Q&As.
• Links: Up to hub, across to peers, down to the service page.

Local sites: light local layer

• Location page: Address, hours, map, short FAQ, and photos.
• Local posts: Two to four posts with city phrases used in natural lines.
• Reviews: Quote a few with names where allowed.

Pre-launch checks (staging)

1. Run Lighthouse on Home, a Service page, and a Blog post.
2. Click every nav and footer link. Fix dead or duplicate links.
3. Test forms. Deliver to the right inbox. Show a clear thank-you state.
4. Scan titles and metas. No “Home | Site” defaults on key pages.
5. Review slugs. No uppercase or spaces. Keep them short.
6. Check schema with a validator.
7. Confirm robots.txt blocks staging and allows production.

Launch steps (production)

1. Set the primary domain and publish.
2. Check SSL, redirects, and the canonical domain.
3. Submit sitemap in Search Console.
4. Fetch important URLs for indexing: Home, hubs, and top services.
5. Watch for crawl errors in the next 24–48 hours.

Post-launch pass (week one)

• Fix any 404s that appear in logs or Search Console.
• Improve titles with low CTR after a few days of data.
• Add internal links from older posts to new posts.
• Compress any large images flagged by PageSpeed Insights.

Team workflow that saves time

• One source of truth: Keep a checklist doc per site. Copy this list into it.
• Batch edits: Set titles and metas for all core pages in one session.
• Weekly cadence: Publish two posts per week and update the hubs the same day.

Common mistakes

• Leaving the staging site indexable.
• Forgetting titles and metas on key pages.
• Hero images over 1 MB.
• Carousels that hurt LCP and CLS.
• Footers with long link walls.
• Blogs with no internal links to hubs and services.

Copy-paste final checklist

Site- Domain, SSL, primary host set- Minify CSS/JS on- Robots.txt correct (block staging, allow prod)Pages- Titles and meta descriptions set- One H1 per page- Short, clean slugsSpeed- Hero image preloaded and compressed- Lazy load below the fold- Light scripts; defer non-criticalContent- Answer block, steps, example, FAQ- Up, across, down internal links- Alt text on imagesSchema- Organization JSON-LD sitewide- Article/BlogPosting on posts- FAQPage/HowTo only when visibleIndexing- Sitemap submitted- Fetch key URLs- 301s for legacy pathsTracking- Search Console verified- Analytics installed- Events for main CTA and form submit

Next step

Make a copy of this list for your project. Run it once before launch and once in week one. Keep the pace steady. Light pages, clean links, and clear titles will give your site a strong start in search.