SEO starts during development
Developers should build crawlable, fast, mobile-friendly pages with proper headings, metadata, schema, internal links and sitemap from the beginning.
Situations this page is built for
- Organic traffic matters for your business.
- You need service/location pages.
- Existing site is not indexed well.
- Pages load slowly or lack metadata.
- You want schema and sitemap setup.
Documents and details usually required
- Business profile, target audience and website goal.
- Page list, feature list and example websites.
- Logo, brand colors, photos, product/service details and content outline.
- Domain, hosting and current site access if redesigning.
- Required integrations such as forms, payments, WhatsApp, CRM, analytics or admin panel.
- Budget range, launch deadline and maintenance expectations.
Practical process before hiring
Write the brief
Define pages, features, content readiness, integrations and launch date.
Choose stack
Select WordPress, Shopify, custom frontend/backend or no-code based on business goals.
Build and test
Check mobile layout, forms, speed, SEO metadata, analytics and browser compatibility.
Launch and maintain
Deploy with backups, access handover, security updates and post-launch support.
What to expect in India
| Work type | Typical price range | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Landing page or simple business site | Rs. 5,000 - Rs. 40,000 | 3-15 days |
| SEO-ready business website | Rs. 40,000 - Rs. 1,50,000 | 2-6 weeks |
| Ecommerce or custom web app | Rs. 1,00,000+ | 4-12 weeks |
Prices vary by document readiness, urgency, city, professional experience and whether previous periods need cleanup.
Common red flags and mistakes
- Hiring without a written page and feature list.
- Ignoring mobile speed and SEO basics.
- Not clarifying source code and admin access ownership.
- No payment milestones or revision limits.
- Skipping maintenance after launch.
What to mention when you post
- Business type and website goal.
- Page count and feature list.
- Preferred platform or need for recommendation.
- Reference websites and brand assets.
- Budget, deadline and maintenance expectations.
How to choose the right professional
- Ask for live portfolio links.
- Confirm ownership of domain, hosting and source code.
- Check whether SEO metadata, sitemap and analytics are included.
- Use milestone-based payments.
- Clarify support and maintenance charges.
Extra checks before you finalise
- Ask for a written page map, wireframe or section list before visual design starts so the quote does not stay vague.
- Confirm the launch checklist: responsive testing, form testing, analytics, sitemap, robots file, metadata, speed review and backup access.
- If search traffic matters, make sure the developer builds crawlable HTML pages and not only a visually attractive but empty shell.
Questions people ask before hiring
Can developers guarantee rankings?
No. They can implement technical SEO foundations, but rankings depend on many factors.
What is technical SEO?
Crawlability, speed, mobile usability, structured data, metadata and internal links.
Is content part of SEO?
Yes, useful topic-specific content is essential.
Can WorkIndex find SEO-aware developers?
Yes, post your site goals and target pages.