Should You Focus on SEO During a Launch?

You’ve invested so much into getting your new offer ready. The product is polished, your sales page is live, and social media content is scheduled. But as your launch plan comes together, you may be asking: Should you be focusing on SEO right now?

It’s easy to think SEO is something to worry about later, once the launch is over and you have more time. But that mindset is one of the biggest missed opportunities I see. When you build SEO into your launch content from the start, you’re not just preparing for a single sales event. You’re creating a foundation that continues to bring in new people, grow your audience, and support your business long after launch ends.

Let’s look at why SEO matters, how it fits into a launch, and what steps are worth taking to make sure the content you’re already creating works harder for you.

Why most launches lose momentum too soon

Most service providers think of a launch as a short burst of promotion: sales pages, social media posts, emails, and ads designed to get attention fast. And while those are all essential, they also stop working the second your launch ends.

If you don’t include SEO in your launch plan, your visibility disappears as soon as your promotion ends. This means you’ll have to start from scratch every time you launch a new service, instead of building on the momentum you’ve already created.

The real cost of skipping SEO

If you’re wondering whether SEO is still worth the investment, the answer is yes, and perhaps now more than ever. 91% of marketers reported that SEO enhanced their website performance and helped achieve their marketing objectives in 2024.

Skipping SEO during a launch might not seem like a big deal at first, but the long-term effects can be costly:

• Lost momentum: Your content loses all traction the second your promotion ends.
• Missed opportunities: You lose out on the chance to attract new leads organically and build sustainable visibility long after the launch is over.
• Starting from scratch: Every new launch feels like you’re back at square one, rather than building on previous success.

What writing SEO content taught me about visibility

My career didn’t start with big launches or high-level strategies. It started on Craigslist, writing SEO descriptions for small businesses. It wasn’t glamorous, but it got me in the door at several SEO agencies. There, I learned how search engines really work and saw firsthand how powerful it was to combine helpful, human-first content with a strong technical foundation. The same principles that improve search rankings also make launch content more discoverable and effective. The two go hand in hand.

Step 1: Publish evergreen content

The simplest way to integrate SEO into your launch is by publishing evergreen content related to your offer. “Evergreen” refers to content that remains relevant over time. It’s not tied to a date, a trend, or a specific promotion. Instead, it addresses ongoing questions your audience will continue searching for months or even years from now. A few examples:

• A coach launching a leadership program might create an educational video titled “5 Leadership Mistakes That Keep Teams Stuck”
• A wellness professional launching a nutrition course could offer a free checklist called “The Sustainable Habit-Building Checklist”
• A creative agency launching a workshop might publish a guide on “What Every Brand Needs to Know Before a Rebrand”

Pro tip: To find ideas for evergreen content, think about the top 5–10 questions your ideal customer asks before they’re ready to buy. Your answers can be turned into short videos, how-to guides, checklists, guides, or articles that answer their questions and position you as an expert in your industry.

Step 2: Optimize your launch materials

Publishing content is just the first step. To make sure it’s discoverable, you need to optimize it. This doesn’t mean cramming keywords into every sentence. It means organizing your sales pages, articles, and videos in a way that helps search engines understand your content and makes it easier for readers to find. Here’s what you can focus on:

• Keyword research: Choose one or two phrases people are already searching for that relate to your offer. Focus on terms with real search intent, not just high volume.
• Page title and headings: Include your keyword in your main title and at least one subheading, but make sure it still reads naturally.
• Meta description: Write a short, compelling description (about 150–160 characters) that explains what your content covers and why it’s valuable.
• Alt text: Use descriptive alt text on images so they’re accessible and can contribute to SEO.
• Answer intent clearly: Make sure your content fully answers the question or solves the problem someone had when they typed that search into Google.

Pro Tip: Use a tool like Google Search Console to track which keywords are already bringing traffic to your site. Then, update older content to better target those terms by improving headings, adding meta descriptions, and expanding on relevant sections. This can help boost your rankings without creating anything new!

Step 3: Maintain and strengthen your SEO after launch

Your work with SEO doesn’t stop once launch is over. In fact, this is when it starts to pay off the most. Ongoing SEO involves checking how your content is performing, making strategic updates, and continuing to build authority over time. Here’s what that looks like in practice:

• Monitor performance: Use tools like Google Search Console or Google Analytics to track which pages are ranking, how people are finding you, and what they do once they land on your site. Look for patterns and pages with room for improvement.
• Refresh and update content: Keep your evergreen content relevant by revisiting it every few months. Update examples, use new sources, and expand sections that are too thin. HubSpot reports that updating old blog posts can boost organic traffic by as much as 106%.
• Improve user experience: Pay attention to how visitors interact with your site. If people are leaving quickly, simplify the structure, make your calls to action clearer, or improve load times to keep them engaged.

Pro Tip: Schedule a monthly SEO maintenance day. Use this time to review your top-performing pages, identify underperforming ones, and implement small but impactful updates like refreshing keywords or replacing outdated links. Regular tweaks can make a big difference over time.

The August 2025 spam update

Google recently announced that the August 2025 spam update has finished rolling out worldwide, and it’s doubling down on rewarding what it calls helpful content.

This was a major update that focused on a few key areas:

• Fighting spam: Google is cracking down on manipulative tactics like keyword stuffing, low-quality AI-generated content, and shady link-building schemes. Sites using these tactics will be penalized.
• Prioritizing high-quality content: The update rewards helpful, high-quality content written by real experts. This means demonstrating strong Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) is more critical than ever.
• Improving generative AI in search: It also included improvements to generative AI search, giving users more control over their personalized results.

The good news is that if you’re already writing content designed to help your audience and structuring it properly for SEO, you’re doing exactly what Google wants. That means your launch content can work twice as hard: bringing people in now and continuing to attract them long after the launch ends.

Plan your next launch with SEO built in

Hi! I’m Samantha, a copywriter and content marketing consultant with over 15 years of experience helping businesses plan successful, SEO-friendly launches. My signature system, Launch READY, helps coaches, consultants, course creators, and other service providers prepare all the promotional materials they need, including content that keeps working long after the cart closes.

If you’re ready to attract and convert your dream audience while continuing to deliver results well into the future, let’s connect and build your plan together. Reach out for a consultation today.