A lot of people believe that Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and website design are two separate components of your website.
In fact, for both to function effectively, they have to work together as a team. While Google can’t see and interact with your site like a human can, building a responsive site has its benefits.
Building a relationship with anyone can be complicated. Google is no exception. It takes more than a few keywords for Google to be impressed.
These days, with the abundance of websites available, you really have to fight for a spot. Website traffic is essential for any business to be successful.
Here’s a few tips to make your website appear higher on search rankings.
Mobile is Essential
A shift began in 2017 when Google announced that it was going to prioritize mobile sites over desktop. In the past, desktop was always indexed first, so the change was significant.
A big change, but not surprising in the least.
Smart phones are responsible for a large portion of how business is conducted. People pay bills, go on social media and browse sites, meaning that your mobile site deserves a little extra attention.
If you’re wanting to optimize for Google when you design or redesign a site, spend some extra time looking at mobile. How responsive is your site? How do your images look? Does everything function the same as it does on your desktop site?
Use your mobile version as your main point of reference because Google certainly will. Plus, designing your site with mobile in mind will make your SEO better.
Is Your Site User Friendly?
An easy way of looking at things is this: what’s good for users is good for Google. If your design is clear and easy to navigate, your users will find what they’re looking for. That means more site time, more engagement, more back links. Google loves all of that!
Otherwise, if they search around and leave your site, it’s a lost sale for you.
User friendly design is an important component of SEO. When SEO and design are combined, it makes for a good user experience, which could also lead to an increase in rankings.
Also, good design should load quickly. A simple, clutter-free design should achieve just that. Pages with longer load times usually have higher bounce rates and lower conversions. The cleaner your pages are, the quicker your load times will be.
Quality Content is Key
Much like a site’s design, Google prefers content that is clear and concise. Easy-to-follow pages and sensible keywords are ideal.
Creating content that answers common user inquiries, how-to posts, FAQs and other user-friendly pages will help you achieve better rankings on Google.
The content on your pages and blogs are essential for success but should be used properly. Any unethical practices or “keyword stuffing” may lead to lower rankings or search engines penalizing your site.
Any important content should be positioned at the top of the page, with any key H1 headings included first. While it’s necessary to have H1 titles on every page, H2s can be incorporated naturally to make content a lot easier to read.
Cross-linking between pages can direct more traffic to services pages, products pages and many others. Inbound links are great because they draw users to other pages on your site.
Check Out Your Site Map
If you’re laying out your site map, does it make sense? Or does it confuse you? If it confuses you, it’ll most likely confuse your customers too.
Make sure you’re not leaving dead ends and the design leads people to the right places. Putting in some extra time to make sure your link structure makes sense will make a huge difference.
Looking for a web design/SEO collab?
The process sounds a little complicated, but we’ve got you covered! We know that websites that incorporate SEO web design gets results.
At Netgain SEO, we know compelling web design extends beyond an attractive homepage. We develop mobile-friendly sites designed to capture leads and attract customers. Contact us today for more information or give us a call at 1-888-797-2455.