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The Mirror Strategy

Website Launch Checklist

Index first, update the profile last

Mark CantrellBy Mark Cantrell, Founder & CEO, Upward Bound MediaLast updated

Step 5 of the local SEO checklistStep 6 of the local SEO checklist

Short answer

Submit your sitemap in Google Search Console and let Google index the new pages. Then update your Google Business Profile categories and services. Keep an established domain.

A hand-drawn checklist with three steps checked and the last step circled.
On this page

Submit the site to Google Search Console

Google's free Search Console reports which pages it has found. Before updating the profile:

  1. Submit the sitemap, the file listing your pages.
  2. Request indexing so Google finds and saves them.
  3. Allow time for crawling, Google's reading of your pages.
Left to right. The profile changes last.

Updating the profile after the site is indexed

Watch out

Changing NAP, categories or services can trigger reverification and temporarily remove your listing from search. Follow gbpchecklist.com.

Do this

  • Index the website first, then update the profile
  • Leave name, address and phone alone

Not this

  • Change the profile before Google indexes the new pages
  • Edit verified NAP during launch

Choosing a domain for your website

A domain is your web address, like yourcompany.com.

  • Keep an established domain: its authority is worth more than keywords in a new one.
  • Starting fresh, category or location names add trust by showing what you do and where, like [city][service].com or [state][primary-category].com.
  • Site structure matters more than domain keywords.