When it comes to effective web design one of the greatest things a web designer can do for the client they are working with is to build SEO into the structure of the site from the very start of the project.
Every page, every title, every picture, and every piece of content can be a big part of how the website will appear in search engines. If a website is structured for success from the very beginning, the chances of it being visible in the search engines are far better.
Web Design:
– User experience and interface design
– Responsive design for multiple devices
– Visual design elements such as colors, typography, and imagery
– Structuring of website content
– Accessibility and usability
SEO:
– Keyword research and selection
– Optimization of content and meta tags
– Technical optimization such as page speed, mobile optimization, and site structure
– Link building
– Monitoring and reporting of SEO performance
When you combine the elements of user experience with the technical substance of search engine optimization you end up with a winning combination that is hard to beat.
Table of Contents
SEO and Quality Web Design
Search engine optimization (SEO) and quality web design go hand in hand. Quality web design is essential for SEO success, as it provides an organized, user-friendly structure and creates a positive user experience.
Quality web design also helps ensure that your website is accessible and easy to navigate, which is important for SEO as it helps search engines crawl and index your website.
Additionally, quality web design helps boost your site’s visibility and relevancy in search engine results, as well as give visitors a good impression of your brand. To ensure that SEO is at its best, web designers should take into account the needs of search engines and create a website that is not only aesthetically pleasing but is also optimized for SEO.
In other words, if your website is designed in a manner that is pleasing to both search engines and real people it will perform better in search results and converting visitors to customers.
A Website Without SEO
When a person goes to a search engine and types in their keywords to do a search the engine digs through trillions of pieces of information in order to match up a search result with the query. For example, if a person types in “brown shoes” and does a search the results that they get will be a compilation of data that talks about brown shoes.
In the first place, if your website does not mention brown shoes, the odds of it showing up in search results are pretty slim. However, if “brown shoes” is one of your pillar keywords and your site has been structured in a way that explains that you have brown shoes and that you are considered an expert on brown shoes, it will have a much better chance of showing up at the top of the search engines.
When a website is built and not properly structured for SEO it will:
- Have poorly constructed content
- Misused titles and headings
- Pages filled with multiple pillar keywords
- Not show up on search results
What is the point of building a website if it is not going to show up in the search engines?
Structuring the Site for SEO
SEO structure starts from the very beginning of the web design journey. In order to properly build a website that shows up in search results you must do a lot of keyword research and figure out what keywords are going to work best for whatever your site is offering.
Say, for example, you have a small business that fixes lawnmowers. Although the amount of competition that you have for keywords might vary from place to place, it is important to understand what people are looking for when they are looking for lawn mower repair.
There could be varying keywords that you could rank for that you might miss out on if you don’t consider them:
- Small engine repair
- Gass cutter mechanic
- Mower blade replacement
- Lawnmower carburetor repair
- Gas tank repair for lawnmowers
The list can go on for a very long time but finding the keywords and phrases that people actually use to look for services that you offer, and then implementing those words into the creation of the site can make a huge difference.
The Power of Landing Pages
This is one of the key elements of successful web design that is geared toward optimal search engine visibility. Landing pages can be used to maximize the power of crucial pillar keywords. Yes, you can use the homepage for a number of pillar keywords, but the problem with that is if you stuff too many of your pillar keywords onto one page, that page loses power.
The best way to get more power over your keywords is to make unique pages for each of your pillar keywords and build your off-page SEO backlink strategy towards those pages. Make sense?
For example, if you have a business that offers various types of services such as:
- Painting
- Construction
- Roofing
- Flooring
- Gutters
- Remodels
Instead of trying to get all of these keywords to rank from one page on your site, you make a landing page for each keyword.
Each page will be specifically geared for each keyword. Your painting page will be structured in a way that focuses on that particular keyword.
- Title
- Meta description
- Main heading
- Subheadings
- Content
- Images
- Backlinks
Now, while backlinks will be part of the off-page SEO strategy, the links with anchored keywords can be directly aimed at this page.
In order to correctly implement these landing pages there has to be a great level of understanding about what the website wants to tell its visitors. This is why it is important to research the entire plan of constructing the website before ever building one line of code for it.
Design With Finesse
In addition to the proper structure of the website so that it has a chance of making it in the search engines, the site has to be created in a way that is both appealing and engaging for the users that visit it.
You want the people that visit the site to choose you over other sites. The best way to do that is to understand your target audience and be able to create according to its taste.
Understanding a target audience is essential when creating any type of web content. Knowing who you are creating content for can help you tailor your messaging and content to those specific people so that it resonates with them.
Researching your target audience’s likes, dislikes, interests, hobbies, and demographic information can help you create more impactful and successful content.
Additionally, engaging with your target audience on social media, forums, and other online channels can help you gain valuable insight into their needs and preferences so that you can provide them with content they will find useful. By understanding your target audience, you can create content that is more effective, and that will result in better outcomes for your business.
Strong SEO and Strong Design
When you include strong design with SEO in mind you build your chances of creating higher conversions and getting the most out of your site.
Without proper SEO, websites are unable to be found in search engine results pages (SERPs). SEO is essential in helping websites gain visibility in search engines and subsequently reach their intended audience.
Without an effective SEO strategy, websites will struggle to get the necessary traffic and conversions. Furthermore, websites without SEO are unable to compete against their competitors as they lack the visibility and presence necessary to gain the attention of potential customers.
Ultimately, websites without SEO are missing out on key opportunities to grow, and their visibility and reach will suffer as a result.
Web Design and Conversion Rates
In addition to being constructed for optimum search engine visibility, a website should always be configured to maximize every visit from every user. The goal is to convert as many visitors as possible to paying customers.
It is within the exact essence of design that contributes to the way that visitors respond and react to the content on the site. If a site looks untrustworthy, a person will bounce away faster than you can say “bye-bye.”
Web design influences conversion rates because it is the way potential customers interact with a business. A website’s design affects how users perceive the brand, how easy it is to use, and how quickly they can find the information they need.
Great design will help to create a positive user experience, which will lead to more conversions. Poor design can detract from a user’s experience, making it difficult for them to find the information they need and discouraging them from taking action.
Conclusion
Most websites are built so that they can accomplish some sort of goal. Whether it be to make money or share information about some topic the end result of a website always has to do with a goal. The best way to achieve any goal is to plan it out and go for it as best as you can. When it comes to making a website work the way that it is supposed to do, make sure you get the most out of your goal and implement the key factors for search engine visibility and maximum conversion rates.