How-to guide
New Website or SEO First? How to Decide
Written by the Web Design Lab NYC team · Published
If you have a limited budget, you want to spend it where it brings calls fastest. Some businesses need a new website before anything else. Others already have a good site and just need people to find it. Here is how to tell which one you are.
Start with the website if…
These signs mean SEO money would be partly wasted until the site is fixed.
- It takes several seconds to load on a phone
- Your phone number isn't easy to find or tap
- All your services are on one page
- You can't update it, or it looks outdated
- It doesn't say which towns you serve
Start with SEO if…
If these are true, your website is a good base and the next step is getting found.
- The site is fast and works well on phones
- Each service has its own clear page
- Visitors who find you do call or fill out the form
- The problem is that not enough people find you
Don't forget the Google profile
Whatever you choose, your Google Business Profile is the cheapest place to start. A complete, active profile with reviews can bring calls while you work on the rest.
When to do both
If your market is competitive and your website is weak, doing both together is often fastest. Our Website Foundation Package is built for that: the new website comes with a new SEO page or post and a curated backlink every month.
A quick test you can do today
Run your website through our free audit to see how fast it loads on a phone and how it scores on SEO basics. If speed is the problem, start with the website. If speed is fine, the issue is more likely visibility.