Advice for a New Website Owner from an SEO and AI Search Optimization Expert
Launching a new website can feel overwhelming, but effective SEO and AI search optimization set the foundation for long-term success. Christa Tintelnot, owner of Sapphire SEO Solutions, shares expert advice for new website owners, covering technical SEO, content strategy, local optimization, analytics, and trust-building. This advice helps websites rank well in both traditional search results and AI-generated overviews.
Key Takeaways
Technical foundation matters: Mobile optimization, page speed, HTTPS, and proper site structure are essential.
Content strategy is dual-purpose: Create content that appeals to both humans and AI algorithms, focusing on E-E-A-T principles.
Local and brand signals boost visibility: Optimize Google Business Profile, citations, and reviews.
Data informs decisions: Use Google Analytics, Search Console, and AI-driven insights to refine your strategy.
Authority and trust take time: Backlinks, guest posting, and consistent branding build credibility.
Avoid common pitfalls: Don’t neglect on-page SEO, schema markup, or mobile optimization.
Sapphire SEO Solutions - Rank Your New Business Website
First, let me say "Congratulations!" Having your own business website is an exciting thing. I know how much effort goes into the process, and as a small business owner, myself, I can relate to the butterflies you might have about your new site, too.
From planning the design and layout to creating content and branding, it can really be overwhelming. You must choose the right domain name, a great URL, and then you have to start thinking about how to rank your site.
Honestly, it can take several weeks, or even months to get a website ready for primetime, and you also have to keep adding to it in the form of blog posts, page refreshing, or other updates to stay relevant.
You can have the best looking site in the world, but if the SEO isn't right, it won't rank. The same can be said if you have great SEO but your site doesn’t look good.
I know -- you want a fabulous looking website that also ranks, right? To do this, you need both SEO and AI-search optimization in play.
Here at Sapphire SEO Solutions, my team and I have helped countless business owners over the year rank their websites. We do this with traditional SEO, new content, marketing, and these days, we also add special features and formatting that help your site rank in AI Overviews and in AI-powered search engines.
Today, I want to give you some practical and actionable advice that new website owners can use to create quality websites and reach their target audience. Of course, you can also reach out to our experts in search engine optimization, and we can do the hard work for you.
How Do Google and AI Rank Web Pages on Search Engines?
The landscape of online search is changing rapidly. Though Google remains the dominant player, AI-powered search is starting to change the game. Web users aren't just scanning the first page of results when they search something; instead, they are getting AI-generated summaries or recommendations right at the top of the page.
For new website owners, and website owners who haven't updated their sites in awhile, your content has to do double duty. It must rank in both traditional SEO and be optimized for AI-search engines.
AI looks for signs like clarity, authority, and relevance. It evaluates your content based on entities, context, and semantic relationships instead of just keywords.
My team and I always remind clients that search engines are getting more sophisticated all of the time. It's not enough to write content that people want to read; you have to also write in a way that allows AI and search algorithms to understand your content.
How to Start Search Engine Optimization? Lay the Foundation
The first thing I always recommend to new website owners is to start with technical SEO. You can make all the great changes on your page, but if your technical SEO is not good, it won't matter.
Google and AI-powered search engines need to have communication with your site, and the way they do it is by crawling, indexing, and interpreting what's on the site.
Some of the elements that we recommend from a professional side include:
Site structure and navigations - Your pages should be organized in a logical way. This helps both search engines and people searching understand what your page is about.
Mobile optimization - More than half of the traffic that comes to your website will come from mobile devices. This means that when the site is published, it should work on both computers and mobile devices.
Page speed - You want your site to be fast for SEO purposes, too. A slow-loading site will also encourage users to leave your site and go to other sites.
HTTPS and security - Google always prioritizes websites that are secure, and when visitors see your site is HTTPS, it also can drive traffic.
Core web vitals - Metrics like Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) will impact rankings.
Even if you are using a website builder, you shouldn't skip these technical checks. Think of the technical side of your website like the slab that your home sits on - it gives your site a solid foundation. Once the foundation is there, you can start building.
How Do I Create Content That Attracts Users and Crawlers?
As much as some people try to say differently, I believe content is still king in SEO...yes, even with AI in the picture. However, how you create content for AI and modern SEO is different.
These days, you can't just throw some keywords into a blog post and expect it to rank. The content you post actually has to provide value and it has to help both humans and AI understand your expertise.
The words on your website should focus on what is helpful to the potential customers who come to your page.
Here's what I do when I create website copy for clients:
Focus on E-E-A-T - Google scans content for "Experience," "Expertise," "Authoritativeness," and "Trustworthiness." As you write your content, you should share real insights, case studies, or lessons you have learned.
Use entities and semantic keywords - Instead of repeating the same phrase over and over, I make sure to create content that gives context. For instance, I just wrote a blog post the other day for a client who sells coffee. I used different terms like "single-origin beans," and "brew methods," along with "caffeine content," which supports the main topic, "coffee."
Structure content correctly - I also make sure that I am structuring the content correctly with headings, bullet points, and schema markup, which is code that is placed on every page.
Never put straight AI content on the page - I use AI all of the time for research and draft ideas, but I never, ever, ever allow pure AI-generated content on my site or on the sites of my clients. Original content matters more than ever.
By finding the balance between being readable for humans and clear for AI, you will increase the chances of ranking in both traditional search and AI-generated overviews.
How Do I Build My Local SEO and Brand Footprint?
If you have a local business, you want people in your community to know your company name. In this case, local SEO is critical.
Google, especially, looks at location, citations, and reviews when ranking nearby businesses. Each page of your website should have a call to action that guides visitors to your website to take certain actions.
To make local SEO work for you, and advertise your goods and services to your local audience, there are several things that I suggest:
Create a Google Business Profile - Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is free, and it's easy to optimize if you know what you are doing. We can help you, of course, especially if this is your first time. If you want to tackle it on your own, make sure that you have the most accurate NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information.
Local citations - Once your GBP is set up, its important to ensure that your company appears consistently on maps and in directories.
Reviews - Ask happy customers to leave reviews about your business, and then reply to those reviews. Google search crawlers and AI consider reviews a sign of authority and trust.
Even if your company isn't totally local, you can still do these things to create a brand footprint that helps AI and traditional search engines find your site.
How Do I Use Data and Analytics?
When I first start working with people on their website, they tend to really focus in on things like color schemes, images, or other resources that they want to get on the page to star making sales. However, there is a lot more to it than that, and this is one of my most important tips:
Use the data and analytics you have from day one.
You can start tracking and measuring performance as soon as you launch your site. This is possible in a couple of ways:
Google Search Console - This is another free tool from Google, which allows you to see data and analytics about your site. It also shows things like what people are searching for to get to your site, if there are any issues with crawling, and other important information.
Google Analytics - You can also use Google Analytics, which helps you see visitor behavior, engagement, and it tracks conversions.
AI-Driven Tools - There are now tools on the market that show which pages are performing well in AI search results. I use Semrush and Ubersuggest, for example, but there are other tools on the internet, too, that are quite good.
How Do I Build Trust and Authority?
Now the hard part - I have been in the SEO industry for almost two decades, and I will tell you, 100%, that the hardest thing to do in SEO is to build trust and authority.
All search engines, even AI-powered ones, favor webpages that show trust and authority. This doesn't happen overnight, and in fact, it can take several months, or even over a year, to start building trust and authority.
Though this is a difficult task, it's not impossible. Here's how I approach getting authority and trust for my clients:
Get backlinks - Backlinks are important. They were important before AI and they will be important after AI. These are links that connect to your site from another. However, it can't just be any link - it must be a high quality link. A link from a website that gets 10 visits a year isn't as good as a website that gets 10,000 visits a year.
Guest posting - If you can, look into guest posting on another site. This allows you to build relationships, share your knowledge, and network with other people in your industry. It also builds credibility and makes your name known.
Consistent messaging - You should also make sure your website is consistent across the board. Your homepage and your services page should look as if they are connected. If you have brand colors or design on your website, you should also have the same on social media platforms, in messages you send to your email list, and in any ads you put out.
What Common Mistakes Should I Avoid as a New Website Owner?
Even experienced website owners make mistakes. Though I feel like mistakes are amazing lessons, they can negatively affect your site. Do your best to avoid the following:
Ignoring on-page SEO - Your site needs good titles, meta descriptions, and headings. They absolutely matter.
Overreliance on AI content - AI is a great assistant, but never, ever copy and paste content from an AI writer and put it directly on your website.
Skipping schema markup - Structured data improves how search engines interpret your content.
Neglecting mobile users - Slow or unresponsive sites will lose visitors fast.
Focus on building solid habits early — it pays off exponentially over time. Remember -- it can take months for a new website to grow, so you need to keep your expectations in check. Oftentimes it takes a good year before you really start seeing your hard work pay off.
Final Expert Advice from Christa Tintelnot, Owner of Sapphire SEO Solutions
If there is one thing I want to really stress to new website owners, it's this: SEO and AI optimization are long-term investments and long-term strategies. Don't use your website as a dumping ground for every single fact and figure you have about your business.
Start with making sure the technical parts of your website are strong, and then spend your time creating valuable content, tracking your data, and slowly building trust.
At Sapphire SEO Solutions, I work with clients everyday who are learning to navigate search. I'm happy to work with people from the beginning, and I'm also happy to jump in when you need me. I am willing to offer feedback on your site, work with you on developing it further, and pint out any missing details that you might have missed.
My team and I hope this blog post was valuable, and I hope that you got some answers to your most pressing questions about being a new website owner.
If you decide to keep working on your site on your own, I really hope this guide helps you. If you are interested in working with a professional team, we would love to work with you.
If you’re ready to take your new website to the next level, get a quote from our SEO team at Sapphire SEO Solutions.
We will help you lay the foundation for SEO success and ensure your site is ready to thrive in the age of AI search.
