You should see some improvements to search rankings with the new website setup. I am building the platform with the latest version of Elementor (v4 Atomic Editor), which is supposed to help with site performance/speed (which helps with SEO). But there are also things you should plan to do with content, tags, etc.

You should create a free Google Search Console account if you haven't already. You can do it now or wait until the new site is live. I have also read it is helpful to have a Google Business listing (even if it's a nonprofit with no physical location).

There are free SEO tools available on sites with paid tools/services. These free tools/audits will tell you areas of improvement with your current site so you can address them with the new website:

https://www.thehoth.com/seo-report-tool/   (uses Semrush, etc.) 
https://seomator.com/  
https://www.semrush.com/pricing/seo-ai-search/  
https://rankmath.com (see Tools section)

The reports should be similar, but it might be interesting to run several and compare. 

The hosting for the chapter websites includes the SmartCrawl Pro plugin. I have not used this one before so I will check with the Plano chapter to see if we can install it on their site and test it. Their site was migrated to the new hosting server in July because they were already using WordPress and their hosting expired. If SmartCrawl Pro is not helpful, we can try another plugin on the platform like the free versions of Yoast or RankMath. 

Some items to consider doing if you aren't already (getting links back to your chapter's website can help with SEO and visibility for the chapter):

• Look for websites where you can list your chapter's events with a link back to the website -- e.g. Eventbrite (if the event is free), Facebook events, local city/town calendars, neighborhood groups, Nextdoor, kids'/family calendars if you have sewing classes for kids/teens)
• Add links/linktree in social media profiles that link to the website (I see Nashville has links on Instagram!)
• Consider blog post-style content on the new website -- e.g. tutorials, event recaps, member stories/Show & Tells, etc. Search engines will crawl websites more frequently if the content is updated regularly. If you have a section on the site that has new information posted regularly with appropriate keywords and phrases, it may help with search engine rankings. How we set up event pages could also impact SEO. The downside to this is needing to find someone to write the content.
• Set up a free account at F5Bot and monitor Reddit for keywords/phrases like SEWING NASHVILLE. If someone posts using these keywords, check if it's appropriate to reply with an invitation to check out the chapter's website. Example post

I'll be curious to see what you discover if you run some of the free site SEO audits and which recommendations you plan to use on the new website. Keep the reports and check again with the new website.

How many other chapters are interested in SEO?