When to Start SEO: During Website Development or After Launch?

"Let's first build a beautiful website, and we'll think about SEO later" — I hear this phrase from 8 out of 10 clients. And every time I explain: this is the most expensive mistake in digital marketing.

Imagine you're building a house. Can you first put up the walls and roof, then decide to lay the foundation? Of course not. It's the same with a website — SEO optimization isn't a nice addition, it's the technical foundation on which your entire online success depends.

So when is the ideal time to start working on SEO? Let's figure this out once and for all.

What is "SEO During Development"?

Many people think SEO is just writing articles with keywords. But in reality, it's like an iceberg: the visible part (content) makes up only 20%. The remaining 80% is the technical foundation that needs to be laid during website creation.

Imagine an architect planning a house. They don't start laying bricks randomly — first they study the site, create blueprints, calculate loads. That's exactly how website promotion from scratch works.

Here's what SEO during development includes:

• Competitor analysis and keyword research: We study what words your customers use to search for services on Google. For example, for a restaurant in Tbilisi, these might be "Georgian cuisine Tbilisi," "best restaurant Old Town," "order khachapuri delivery." This data determines what pages need to be created on the site.
• Website structure design: We create a logical architecture — understandable to both Google and users. Homepage, service sections, About Us page, contacts, blog. Each page has its purpose and its keywords.
• Technical optimization: We set up proper URL structures (instead of site.com/page1 we make site.com/services), optimize loading speed, and ensure correct functionality on mobile devices.

Why "Do SEO Later" is an Expensive and Risky Path

Of course, you can order SEO services in Tbilisi after your website is already built. It's technically possible. But it's like doing a major renovation in an apartment where you're already living — expensive, time-consuming, and inconvenient.

Here are the problems you'll face:

• Costly redesigns: You have to change the site structure and rewrite page URLs. Old links break, which hurts search rankings. The cost of SEO promotion in this case can increase by 30-50% or more.
• Lost time: While your site is "invisible" to Google, competitors have been attracting your potential customers for months. In business, time is money.
• Need for a complete audit: First, an SEO specialist spends time finding all technical errors on the site, creating a detailed action plan. Only after that does the real work begin.

I often compare this to going to the dentist. You can go for preventive checkups every six months and spend minimal time and money. Or you can ignore your dental health until severe pain starts — and then expensive treatment is required. It's exactly the same story with websites.

Comparison Table: "SEO Before" vs "SEO After"

SEO Implementation Stages During Development

When you decide to order SEO in Tbilisi before launching your site, work follows a clear plan. Here's what the search engine optimization process from scratch looks like:

Stage 1: Strategic Planning (1-2 weeks)

At this stage, we lay the foundation for the entire project. We conduct in-depth analysis of your niche, study competitors and their search strengths. We compile a keyword core — a list of keywords and phrases by which your business should be found on Google.

For example, for a law firm in Tbilisi, these might be queries: "real estate lawyer Tbilisi," "legal services for business," "company registration in Georgia." We analyze their frequency, competitiveness, and commercial potential.

Result: a clear understanding of what pages need to be created, what content to place on them, and which queries should lead to each page.

Stage 2: Website Architecture Design (1 week)

Now that we know the keyword core, we create the site structure. This is like a building plan: we determine how many sections there will be, how they're connected, and what the navigation logic is.

Good site architecture means:

• Users find needed information in 2-3 clicks
• Google easily understands page hierarchy
• Each page is optimized for a specific set of queries
• Internal linking is logical and natural

Result: a site map where each section has an SEO justification.

Stage 3: Technical Implementation (2-4 weeks)

Developers create the site while the SEO specialist controls the technical side. At this stage, it's important not to make mistakes that will be difficult to fix later:

• Proper URL structures (SEO-friendly URLs)
• Setting up robots.txt and sitemap.xml files
• Correct functionality on all devices (responsiveness)
• Page loading speed (image optimization, caching)
• Analytics setup (Google Analytics, Google Search Console)
• SSL certificate for security

If you implement these elements right away, you save months of work and avoid technical problems in the future.

Result: a technically sound website ready for Google indexing.

Stage 4: Content Creation (2-3 weeks)

We create and optimize content for each page. This isn't just "text with keywords" — it's useful information for your customers that's simultaneously understandable to search engines.

We write:

• Unique Title tags and Meta Descriptions
• Headers H1, H2, H3 with proper structure
• Text with natural keyword insertions
• Alt tags for all images

Result: a website with quality SEO content ready to attract visitors from search.

Stage 5: Pre-launch Check and Indexing (1 week)

Before publication, we conduct a final technical audit, check all elements, and eliminate any found errors. After launch, we submit the site for Google indexing and begin monitoring rankings.

Result: the site launches already optimized and starts gaining positions from day one.

The entire SEO optimization process during development takes approximately 6-10 weeks — and this time is spent as efficiently as possible. The site is immediately ready for further promotion, and you don't need to spend additional months fixing errors.

Conclusion: Start with the Foundation

The answer is clear: the ideal option is to start basic SEO optimization during website development.

This saves your money, time, and nerves. You get a website that's initially "understandable" to search engines and ready for further promotion. It's important to understand: internal optimization is done once, during creation. Full-scale promotion — writing articles, working with external links — is a separate stage that begins after launch, but it's built on a solid technical foundation.

If you're interested in learning more about our approach, check out our SEO services in Tbilisi or view our portfolio to see examples of successful projects.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does SEO optimization during website development cost?

The cost of SEO promotion from scratch typically ranges from 30-50% of the total website creation budget. For example, if website development costs $2000, comprehensive SEO optimization will add $600-1000. But it's important to understand: this money isn't an "additional expense," but an investment that pays off in the first months of the site's operation. The alternative is spending the same money (often more) fixing errors after launch, plus losing several months of time.

Can I do SEO myself during development?

Basic things — yes, if you have technical education and time to learn. You can set up proper URLs, write Titles and Descriptions, and optimize loading speed. But full search engine optimization requires deep knowledge: competitor analysis, building keyword cores, technical setup, and working with analytics. Most business owners prefer to order SEO from specialists to focus on their business.

What happens if I launch a site without SEO and then optimize it?

This is technically possible, and many people do it. But you'll face three problems: first, you'll have to redesign an already finished site, which will increase costs by 30-50%. Second, you'll lose time — while you're fixing errors, competitors are already taking positions in Google. Third, when changing site structure and URLs, already gained positions may "crumble," if there were any. It's like building a house and then discovering the foundation needs redoing — expensive and risky.

How quickly will the site start bringing clients after SEO optimization?

If SEO is done during development, you'll see the first results 1-2 months after launch — the site will start indexing and appearing in search for low-frequency queries. Growth in positions for medium-frequency keywords will begin in 3-4 months. A stable flow of clients from organic search usually forms by month 6. This assumes basic optimization is done properly and you continue working on content and link building.

Final Thoughts

Remember: SEO isn't a magic pill you can add to a finished website. It's the foundation on which your online success is built. You need to lay it from day one.

If you're planning to order a website in Tbilisi or want to improve an existing one, start with the right step. Contact me for a free consultation, and we'll lay a solid SEO foundation for your project from the very beginning.

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