You’ve paid for a new website. It looks good, works on your phone and the developer has told you it’s finished. But a few weeks later you’re searching Google for the services you provide and can’t find it. When you ask about SEO, you’re told that’s an additional service. You’re understandably thinking: “Hang on, shouldn’t that have been included when I paid for the website?”
A professionally built website should have sensible technical and content foundations for search, but that doesn’t automatically mean it includes a complete SEO strategy or ongoing work to improve rankings. The answer depends on what your agreement covered. Some SEO decisions need making before design begins; others involve separate research, optimisation and work after launch. Here’s how I’d separate them so you know what you’ve bought and what may still be missing.
Should SEO be included in a new website build?
I’d expect the developer to discuss basic search visibility as part of planning a business website. Search engines need to access pages, the content needs an understandable structure and customers need to find the services you provide. Building a website without considering any of that is poor planning.
But “SEO included” isn’t a complete specification. It might mean only page titles or a researched strategy and ongoing work. The quote must explain the deliverables.
What SEO foundations should the website have at launch?
At minimum, a sensible build should consider how search engines can access important pages, how pages are titled, whether navigation makes sense, whether content is useful and whether old URLs need redirecting.
- A clear hierarchy of main services and supporting pages.
- Descriptive page titles, headings and readable URLs.
- Pages that search engines can crawl and index where appropriate.
- Useful internal links and no accidental launch restrictions.
- Correct handling of replaced URLs and redirects, if relevant.
- A sensible way to check website search visibility after launch.
Those are foundations. They don’t automatically make a new business competitive for difficult searches.
Why keyword research should start before the design
If you don’t know which services customers search for, you risk building the wrong set of pages. A business might put five distinct services under one short paragraph, only to discover later that each needs its own useful explanation. Retrofitting the structure can cost more than discussing it early.
Proper research means understanding search intent, customer language, demand and competition. Not every project needs an enormous research document, but deciding the important pages before they’re designed is sensible. My guide to finding what customers search for explains the process in plain English.
Why a completed website isn’t an ongoing SEO strategy
A website launch gives you a starting point. SEO may then involve improving service-page depth, adding useful articles, monitoring how Google interprets pages, adjusting priorities and building local visibility where relevant. Competitors don’t stop improving their websites simply because yours has launched.
That doesn’t mean every small business needs a large monthly retainer. Some have limited competition and can manage with sound foundations and periodic reviews. Others depend heavily on competitive search visibility and need sustained investment. The right approach depends on what you’re trying to achieve.
How is this different from paying for an SEO-ready website?
“SEO-ready” generally suggests the website has sensible foundations that allow search work to happen. It doesn’t establish that somebody has researched all your markets, produced a content strategy or agreed to grow search traffic after launch.
If you’re still comparing developer proposals, my article A Web Designer Says SEO Is Included. What Does That Actually Mean? helps you inspect the wording before signing. This article is for the owner who has already paid for a website and now needs to work out what was delivered and what should happen next.
What should you ask your developer after launch?
Start with the agreed scope rather than assuming you were misled. Ask what SEO-related work was included, which pages were considered priorities and whether any research informed the site structure. Request a plain-English explanation of what was done and what was outside the price.
Also ask who controls your Google Search Console access, how to make changes to page content and whether anything prevents indexing. If they haven’t carried out detailed SEO work, that’s worth knowing; it doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve failed to deliver the website you commissioned.
Why isn’t the new website appearing for my services?
First distinguish between a site that isn’t indexed, one that appears for its brand name but not competitive searches, and one that gets some visibility but no enquiries. These are different problems with different causes.
Google’s SEO Starter Guide explains the fundamentals, but there’s no promise that building a technically sound website will produce rankings immediately. If the site doesn’t appear even for its name, read my guide to new websites missing from Google before assuming you need an expensive monthly package.
Does local SEO come with the website?
Not necessarily. Your website can explain your services and areas, while local SEO may also involve an eligible Google Business Profile, accurate business information, genuine customer reviews and work to improve how the business is represented in local searches.
Some of that may be part of a wider package, but don’t assume a web developer is managing your profile or reviews because they’ve added a map to a contact page. Agree responsibilities explicitly. An embedded map won’t improve your Maps ranking.
What might ongoing SEO involve, and what should it cost?
The work should follow the business’s priorities: research, technical improvements, better service content, relevant supporting articles, local optimisation, measurement and sensible adjustments. Not every activity is needed every month, and reporting should explain why the chosen work matters.
For context, see my guide to what a monthly SEO retainer should include. A proper scope is more meaningful than paying a fixed fee for vague promises about being “optimised”.
Should you complain, rebuild or start an SEO campaign?
Don’t jump straight to another website build. Review the original proposal, inspect what’s actually live and identify the most important missing elements. If the developer promised specific SEO deliverables that weren’t provided, raise that directly and ask for a resolution.
If the agreed website has been delivered but you need more search visibility, that may call for a separate SEO plan. Keep responsibility clear and avoid turning a marketing shortfall into an unnecessary redesign. You may already have a workable site that needs better page priorities and content.
What I’d do next if your new website isn’t bringing enquiries
I’d check whether the essential pages can be found, whether they explain the services customers search for and whether there’s a clear route to contact you. Then I’d compare the original brief with the SEO work actually completed and decide what needs prioritising. There’s no benefit in paying twice for work that’s already sound.
You’ve already invested in the website. The next decision should be based on evidence, not another sweeping sales pitch. If you’re unsure what SEO work was included or what your site needs now, book a call. Tell me what’s been built, what you’re trying to rank for and what you expected to happen.