Skip to content

SEO Decisions You Should Make Before Building a Website

Long gone are the days when building a website was all about using the right colours. Nowadays, most professionals have realised the importance of Search Engine Optimisation. SEO is much more than the business tactics that are performed after a site is built. As marketing practices have changed, there are primary components that will play…
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Long gone are the days when building a website was all about using the right colours. Nowadays, most professionals have realised the importance of Search Engine Optimisation. SEO is much more than the business tactics that are performed after a site is built. As marketing practices have changed, there are primary components that will play a role before a website goes live. Therefore, important SEO decisions should always be made beforehand.

Some of the questions that are significant in making these decisions include:

1. What is the Purpose of the Website?

Websites are built for a variety of reasons. They may be created for selling products, increasing brand awareness or educating potential customers about the company’s products and services. As such, understanding your purpose ahead of time will help you hire the services of an ecommerce designer who will appropriately design and layout the website in order to meet your SEO needs.

2. What is Your Market Segment?

If the website is built for the purposes of making sales or creating brand awareness then it is important to first identify your customer demographic and create a niche market for the business. That way, you can settle for a definite web page structure and keyword intent that will get your marketing messages across. This should always be done before designing the site.

3. Should the Website be Responsive?

The answer to this question is always yes. In order for SEO to be effective, website pages should be compatible with multiple devices and platforms. If the website responds on computers and mobile devices, then it can have a multitude of visitors. This will ensure that your link equity remains undiluted. It will also make your website highly accessible at all times.

4. How Will You Effectively Communicate Your Mission and Vision Statements?

It is important to determine the value of your mission and vision statements in traditional marketing before incorporating them into the online world. If these statements make an impact in the traditional world then it will certainly have a value proposition online. This will enable you to associate your brand with customer needs and make them appear on search results. Long-tail keywords should be used for this purpose.

5. Who Are Your Digital Competitors?

Identifying your search, business and cross-industry competitors will help you in finding out where they stand, how well they are doing and the strategies that you need to put in place in order to be on the same level with them. It is important to ensure that you know:

  • The size and performance of their business
  • The marketing differences among all your competitors
  • The strength of their brand building
  • The design of their link profiles

This information will allow you to either improve on their strategies and will also give you detailed information on where their links come from, all essential aspects when creating an SEO strategy.

Conclusion

These choices will enable you to keep a tab on development and optimise the website accordingly before it is built. You will benefit both your users and your business by determining how SEO will be beneficial before the ground work even starts. So, before you even start building your website, make sure that you are clear on your mobile approach, check what your competitors are doing, have a clear mission statement in mind and clearly understand the purpose of your website so you understand which approach will be best depending on your niche.

Image courtesy of: optimagroupinc.com

James Owen, Co-Founder & Head Of Search

James has been involved in SEO and digital marketing projects since 2007. James has led many SEO projects for well-known brands in Travel, Gaming and Retail such as Jackpotjoy, Marriott, Intercontinental Hotels, Hotels.com, Expedia, Betway, Gumtree, 888, Ax Paris, Ebyuer, Ebay, Hotels combined, Smyths toys, love honey and Pearson to name a few. James has also been a speaker at SEO and digital marketing conferences and events such as Brighton SEO.

View all Downloads

Downloads

eBook: What is PPC?

What Is SEO?

Ever wondered why certain websites appear at the top of Google’s results page when you search for something?  That’s no…

Download
download

The Ultimate Guide To Selling Products Online

We’re going to take a look at how you can turn your eCommerce dream into a reality.

Download
eBook: Finding the Perfect Link Building Partner

Find the Perfect Link Building Partner

Here is how to find the perfect link building partner, download today!

Download
View the Blog

You may also be interested in...

2026 SEO Agency Toolkit: Services, Trends & Growth Hacks

If you want your agency to be ahead in 2026, you need to stay sharp,…

Brand Mentions & AI Search: Why They’re a Big Deal Right Now

These days, it's not only backlinks that get your brand noticed. AI-powered search is growing…

Click Intelligence SEO Team’s 2026 Industry Predictions

As we come to the end of another year in digital marketing, one thing is…

The Best Client Retention Hacks for SEO Agencies

Here's a secret most SEO agencies overlook: sustainable growth doesn't come from constantly acquiring new…

Supercharge Your SEO with Brand Mentions

Search is changing. While the organic SERPs (search engine results pages) are still important, AI…

The Hidden Cost of Overcomplicated Reporting

It’s very easy to fall into the trap of overcomplicated reporting, with marketing agencies producing…

The Essential Link Building Guide for AI and LLM Search

Search technology has come a long way and only continues to evolve. Link building for…

How Digital PR Boosts AI Search Results

There's no use in denying it; AI-driven results are dominating and reshaping the way we…

View all Guides

Online Guides

Best AI Mode Reporting Software
View guide
Best AI Mode Tracker Tools 2026
View guide
Best AI Overviews Reporting Software for 2026
View guide
Best AI Overviews Tracker Tools for 2026
View guide
Best Backlink Checker Software
View guide
Best Google Keyword Rank Checker Tools for 2026
View guide
10+ Best Zutrix Alternative for 2026
View guide
10+ Best Tableau Alternatives for 2026
View guide
Back To Top