Overview
Small team. Big-name track record.
100+ projects delivered. Our team's work includes brands like Nike, Visa and Disney.
Three years grown on referrals alone, not ad spend.
Brand, website, SEO and ads under one roof. One brief, one team.
SEO for startups means picking the few pages most likely to win early: use cases, alternatives, comparisons and the problems your product solves. We make sure Google can crawl and render them, then add content as you learn what converts.
Nobody searches for a product they haven’t heard of yet.®
Win the problem, not the name — Early on, few people search for your brand or even your category. They search for the problem you solve, the tool they use now, or a comparison. That is where startup SEO begins.
Fix it before launch, not after — A rename, a new domain or a JavaScript rebuild can quietly undo months of work. Getting structure, rendering and redirects right early costs far less than repairing them later.
Lean SEO that grows with the product.®
Use-case & comparison pages — A page for each problem, audience and alternative, written to answer the search and lead to a trial, demo or sign-up.
Launch-ready technical SEO — Rendering checks for JavaScript sites, clean URLs, sitemaps and Search Console set up before you go live.
Startup website design — A site that explains what you do quickly and gives search a structure to build on as the product grows.
SEO for startups: what to do at each stage
SEO for startups before launch
SEO for startups pays off most before launch, while URLs, page structure and platform are still open decisions. Google suggests the best time to bring in SEO help is while a site is being planned, and the earlier the better.
We set out the page structure, check how the site renders, keep staging sites out of search, and set up Search Console and analytics so you have data from day one.
If you have already launched, we first audit what is indexed, what is not and why, before planning anything new.
Keyword research when nobody searches for your category
If your product is new, search demand for your category may be close to zero. The demand sits in the problem: the task people want done, the spreadsheet or tool they use today, and comparisons between options they already know.
We map those searches to pages: use-case pages, ‘alternative to’ pages and honest comparisons. Each page matches what the searcher wants at that moment, whether that is learning, comparing or signing up.
Volume is not the only test. A comparison page read by a small group just before they choose can be worth more than a broad guide with far more visits.
Startup SEO on JavaScript sites
Many startups build in React or a similar framework. Google processes JavaScript in three phases, crawling, rendering and indexing, and says server-side or pre-rendering is still a great idea because it makes sites faster for users and crawlers.
In single-page apps, Google recommends routing with the History API rather than URL fragments, and handling missing pages so they don’t become soft 404s. We check how key pages render before launch and after major releases.
If your marketing site and product share a codebase, we agree with your developers which routes should be indexed and which, such as app screens and logged-in areas, should stay out.
Renames, rebrands and new domains
Early-stage companies often change names or domains as they find their market. Google recommends permanent 301 or 308 redirects for moved URLs, kept generally for at least a year, plus a Change of Address in Search Console when the domain changes.
Even when a move is done well, Google expects temporary fluctuation in rankings. Mapping every old URL to its new home before the switch is what keeps the move under control.
If a rename is likely, settle the name and domain early rather than building visibility on a temporary name you already plan to drop.
Starting from zero: ConsultAway
ConsultAway was a new UK business advisory with no existing brand. We handled the branding, Framer website, copywriting and SEO set-up, including meta descriptions.
Its resources section covers the schemes most businesses never check, giving the site a base of search content to grow from.
It is the start we recommend for most new businesses: a clear offer, a few strong pages and a content base that grows as the business learns.
SEO alongside paid, and how we measure
Paid search and social bring visits while SEO builds. What your ads show about converting search terms tells us which pages to write next.
We report Search Console impressions and clicks for priority searches, sign-ups or demo requests from organic visits, and which pages earn them. To start, we need site and analytics access, your positioning and the competitors customers compare you with.
As the product matures, the plan widens to deeper guides, integration pages and links earned from partners, launches and press.
Related reading
Frequently asked questions
When should a startup start SEO?
Before launch or before a redesign, if you can. Google suggests the best time to bring in SEO help is while a site is being planned, and the earlier the better.
What does SEO for startups include?
Keyword and competitor research, a page plan for use cases, comparisons and alternatives, technical set-up and rendering checks, on-page work, internal linking and a content plan sized to your team.
Should we do SEO or paid ads first?
Often both, for different jobs. Ads test messages and bring visits now, while SEO builds pages that keep working. What ads reveal about search terms helps decide which pages to build.
Our site is built in React. Is that a problem for SEO?
Not necessarily, but it needs checking. Google renders JavaScript, yet still recommends server-side or pre-rendering, and real URLs via the History API rather than fragments in single-page apps.
We’re changing our name. Will we lose rankings?
Not if the move is planned. Google recommends permanent redirects kept generally for at least a year and a Change of Address in Search Console, and expects some temporary fluctuation.
Can you guarantee rankings?
No. Google is clear that no one can guarantee a number one ranking. We agree priority searches and pages with you, and report progress against them.
How long does startup SEO take?
Usually months rather than weeks. We start with specific, lower-competition searches a new site can realistically win, then widen from there.
How much does SEO for a startup cost?
It depends on your stage, your competition and how much content is needed. We quote a fixed monthly or project fee after a short call, and keep scope lean early on.
Our process
(TT — LDN, UK)
©2026 the think
01
Discovery
A short call to understand your firm, the services you want more of and where your clients come from today.
02
Strategy
Keyword research, competitor review and a clear plan for pages, positioning and campaigns, with a fixed scope and quote.
03
Design & build
One team handles brand, copy, design and build, so your website and marketing launch on time and work on every device.
04
Launch & grow
We launch, track enquiries and keep improving through SEO, ads and content, with plain-English reporting on what's working.
Selected work
(TT — LDN, UK)
©2026 the think
FAQ
Overview
Small team. Big-name track record.
100+ projects delivered. Our team's work includes brands like Nike, Visa and Disney.
Three years grown on referrals alone, not ad spend.
Brand, website, SEO and ads under one roof. One brief, one team.
SEO for startups means picking the few pages most likely to win early: use cases, alternatives, comparisons and the problems your product solves. We make sure Google can crawl and render them, then add content as you learn what converts.
Nobody searches for a product they haven’t heard of yet.®
Win the problem, not the name — Early on, few people search for your brand or even your category. They search for the problem you solve, the tool they use now, or a comparison. That is where startup SEO begins.
Fix it before launch, not after — A rename, a new domain or a JavaScript rebuild can quietly undo months of work. Getting structure, rendering and redirects right early costs far less than repairing them later.
Lean SEO that grows with the product.®
Use-case & comparison pages — A page for each problem, audience and alternative, written to answer the search and lead to a trial, demo or sign-up.
Launch-ready technical SEO — Rendering checks for JavaScript sites, clean URLs, sitemaps and Search Console set up before you go live.
Startup website design — A site that explains what you do quickly and gives search a structure to build on as the product grows.
SEO for startups: what to do at each stage
SEO for startups before launch
SEO for startups pays off most before launch, while URLs, page structure and platform are still open decisions. Google suggests the best time to bring in SEO help is while a site is being planned, and the earlier the better.
We set out the page structure, check how the site renders, keep staging sites out of search, and set up Search Console and analytics so you have data from day one.
If you have already launched, we first audit what is indexed, what is not and why, before planning anything new.
Keyword research when nobody searches for your category
If your product is new, search demand for your category may be close to zero. The demand sits in the problem: the task people want done, the spreadsheet or tool they use today, and comparisons between options they already know.
We map those searches to pages: use-case pages, ‘alternative to’ pages and honest comparisons. Each page matches what the searcher wants at that moment, whether that is learning, comparing or signing up.
Volume is not the only test. A comparison page read by a small group just before they choose can be worth more than a broad guide with far more visits.
Startup SEO on JavaScript sites
Many startups build in React or a similar framework. Google processes JavaScript in three phases, crawling, rendering and indexing, and says server-side or pre-rendering is still a great idea because it makes sites faster for users and crawlers.
In single-page apps, Google recommends routing with the History API rather than URL fragments, and handling missing pages so they don’t become soft 404s. We check how key pages render before launch and after major releases.
If your marketing site and product share a codebase, we agree with your developers which routes should be indexed and which, such as app screens and logged-in areas, should stay out.
Renames, rebrands and new domains
Early-stage companies often change names or domains as they find their market. Google recommends permanent 301 or 308 redirects for moved URLs, kept generally for at least a year, plus a Change of Address in Search Console when the domain changes.
Even when a move is done well, Google expects temporary fluctuation in rankings. Mapping every old URL to its new home before the switch is what keeps the move under control.
If a rename is likely, settle the name and domain early rather than building visibility on a temporary name you already plan to drop.
Starting from zero: ConsultAway
ConsultAway was a new UK business advisory with no existing brand. We handled the branding, Framer website, copywriting and SEO set-up, including meta descriptions.
Its resources section covers the schemes most businesses never check, giving the site a base of search content to grow from.
It is the start we recommend for most new businesses: a clear offer, a few strong pages and a content base that grows as the business learns.
SEO alongside paid, and how we measure
Paid search and social bring visits while SEO builds. What your ads show about converting search terms tells us which pages to write next.
We report Search Console impressions and clicks for priority searches, sign-ups or demo requests from organic visits, and which pages earn them. To start, we need site and analytics access, your positioning and the competitors customers compare you with.
As the product matures, the plan widens to deeper guides, integration pages and links earned from partners, launches and press.
Related reading
Frequently asked questions
When should a startup start SEO?
Before launch or before a redesign, if you can. Google suggests the best time to bring in SEO help is while a site is being planned, and the earlier the better.
What does SEO for startups include?
Keyword and competitor research, a page plan for use cases, comparisons and alternatives, technical set-up and rendering checks, on-page work, internal linking and a content plan sized to your team.
Should we do SEO or paid ads first?
Often both, for different jobs. Ads test messages and bring visits now, while SEO builds pages that keep working. What ads reveal about search terms helps decide which pages to build.
Our site is built in React. Is that a problem for SEO?
Not necessarily, but it needs checking. Google renders JavaScript, yet still recommends server-side or pre-rendering, and real URLs via the History API rather than fragments in single-page apps.
We’re changing our name. Will we lose rankings?
Not if the move is planned. Google recommends permanent redirects kept generally for at least a year and a Change of Address in Search Console, and expects some temporary fluctuation.
Can you guarantee rankings?
No. Google is clear that no one can guarantee a number one ranking. We agree priority searches and pages with you, and report progress against them.
How long does startup SEO take?
Usually months rather than weeks. We start with specific, lower-competition searches a new site can realistically win, then widen from there.
How much does SEO for a startup cost?
It depends on your stage, your competition and how much content is needed. We quote a fixed monthly or project fee after a short call, and keep scope lean early on.
Our process
(TT — LDN, UK)
©2026 the think
01
Discovery
A short call to understand your firm, the services you want more of and where your clients come from today.
02
Strategy
Keyword research, competitor review and a clear plan for pages, positioning and campaigns, with a fixed scope and quote.
03
Design & build
One team handles brand, copy, design and build, so your website and marketing launch on time and work on every device.
04
Launch & grow
We launch, track enquiries and keep improving through SEO, ads and content, with plain-English reporting on what's working.
Selected work
(TT — LDN, UK)
©2026 the think
FAQ
Overview
Small team. Big-name track record.
100+ projects delivered. Our team's work includes brands like Nike, Visa and Disney.
Three years grown on referrals alone, not ad spend.
Brand, website, SEO and ads under one roof. One brief, one team.
SEO for startups means picking the few pages most likely to win early: use cases, alternatives, comparisons and the problems your product solves. We make sure Google can crawl and render them, then add content as you learn what converts.
Nobody searches for a product they haven’t heard of yet.®
Win the problem, not the name — Early on, few people search for your brand or even your category. They search for the problem you solve, the tool they use now, or a comparison. That is where startup SEO begins.
Fix it before launch, not after — A rename, a new domain or a JavaScript rebuild can quietly undo months of work. Getting structure, rendering and redirects right early costs far less than repairing them later.
Lean SEO that grows with the product.®
Use-case & comparison pages — A page for each problem, audience and alternative, written to answer the search and lead to a trial, demo or sign-up.
Launch-ready technical SEO — Rendering checks for JavaScript sites, clean URLs, sitemaps and Search Console set up before you go live.
Startup website design — A site that explains what you do quickly and gives search a structure to build on as the product grows.
SEO for startups: what to do at each stage
SEO for startups before launch
SEO for startups pays off most before launch, while URLs, page structure and platform are still open decisions. Google suggests the best time to bring in SEO help is while a site is being planned, and the earlier the better.
We set out the page structure, check how the site renders, keep staging sites out of search, and set up Search Console and analytics so you have data from day one.
If you have already launched, we first audit what is indexed, what is not and why, before planning anything new.
Keyword research when nobody searches for your category
If your product is new, search demand for your category may be close to zero. The demand sits in the problem: the task people want done, the spreadsheet or tool they use today, and comparisons between options they already know.
We map those searches to pages: use-case pages, ‘alternative to’ pages and honest comparisons. Each page matches what the searcher wants at that moment, whether that is learning, comparing or signing up.
Volume is not the only test. A comparison page read by a small group just before they choose can be worth more than a broad guide with far more visits.
Startup SEO on JavaScript sites
Many startups build in React or a similar framework. Google processes JavaScript in three phases, crawling, rendering and indexing, and says server-side or pre-rendering is still a great idea because it makes sites faster for users and crawlers.
In single-page apps, Google recommends routing with the History API rather than URL fragments, and handling missing pages so they don’t become soft 404s. We check how key pages render before launch and after major releases.
If your marketing site and product share a codebase, we agree with your developers which routes should be indexed and which, such as app screens and logged-in areas, should stay out.
Renames, rebrands and new domains
Early-stage companies often change names or domains as they find their market. Google recommends permanent 301 or 308 redirects for moved URLs, kept generally for at least a year, plus a Change of Address in Search Console when the domain changes.
Even when a move is done well, Google expects temporary fluctuation in rankings. Mapping every old URL to its new home before the switch is what keeps the move under control.
If a rename is likely, settle the name and domain early rather than building visibility on a temporary name you already plan to drop.
Starting from zero: ConsultAway
ConsultAway was a new UK business advisory with no existing brand. We handled the branding, Framer website, copywriting and SEO set-up, including meta descriptions.
Its resources section covers the schemes most businesses never check, giving the site a base of search content to grow from.
It is the start we recommend for most new businesses: a clear offer, a few strong pages and a content base that grows as the business learns.
SEO alongside paid, and how we measure
Paid search and social bring visits while SEO builds. What your ads show about converting search terms tells us which pages to write next.
We report Search Console impressions and clicks for priority searches, sign-ups or demo requests from organic visits, and which pages earn them. To start, we need site and analytics access, your positioning and the competitors customers compare you with.
As the product matures, the plan widens to deeper guides, integration pages and links earned from partners, launches and press.
Related reading
Frequently asked questions
When should a startup start SEO?
Before launch or before a redesign, if you can. Google suggests the best time to bring in SEO help is while a site is being planned, and the earlier the better.
What does SEO for startups include?
Keyword and competitor research, a page plan for use cases, comparisons and alternatives, technical set-up and rendering checks, on-page work, internal linking and a content plan sized to your team.
Should we do SEO or paid ads first?
Often both, for different jobs. Ads test messages and bring visits now, while SEO builds pages that keep working. What ads reveal about search terms helps decide which pages to build.
Our site is built in React. Is that a problem for SEO?
Not necessarily, but it needs checking. Google renders JavaScript, yet still recommends server-side or pre-rendering, and real URLs via the History API rather than fragments in single-page apps.
We’re changing our name. Will we lose rankings?
Not if the move is planned. Google recommends permanent redirects kept generally for at least a year and a Change of Address in Search Console, and expects some temporary fluctuation.
Can you guarantee rankings?
No. Google is clear that no one can guarantee a number one ranking. We agree priority searches and pages with you, and report progress against them.
How long does startup SEO take?
Usually months rather than weeks. We start with specific, lower-competition searches a new site can realistically win, then widen from there.
How much does SEO for a startup cost?
It depends on your stage, your competition and how much content is needed. We quote a fixed monthly or project fee after a short call, and keep scope lean early on.
Our process
©2026 the think
01
Discovery
A short call to understand your firm, the services you want more of and where your clients come from today.
02
Strategy
Keyword research, competitor review and a clear plan for pages, positioning and campaigns, with a fixed scope and quote.
03
Design & build
One team handles brand, copy, design and build, so your website and marketing launch on time and work on every device.
04
Launch & grow
We launch, track enquiries and keep improving through SEO, ads and content, with plain-English reporting on what's working.
Selected work
©2026 the think
FAQ