Why You Need SEO In Web Design
You have a beautiful website. You have a compelling brand story. You’re ready to solve your audience’s pain points. Now what? How do you get more people to check out your website beyond spreading the word at your next networking event or family get-together?
The answer is search engine optimization or SEO. SEO is a strategy for ranking high in search engines so users can find your site, engage with your content, and hopefully convert to paying customers.
SEO shouldn’t be an after-thought, but a critical part of your website design. All elements of your website – from the url to the organization to the content on the page – contribute to ranking high (or low) in search. Ideally, you take an intentional and strategic approach to SEO in the planning phases of your website, but even if you’re scrambling to incorporate SEO after your site has launched, it’s worth the effort.
Let’s look at some reasons why.
It’s a sustainable cost-saving strategy.
You can use ads to generate paid traffic, but that can get expensive. SEO is an effective method for generating organic, or unpaid, traffic. Paid ads might get you better results if you’re looking for an immediate uptick in traffic, but SEO is important if you’re looking to establish long-term credibility and results and save money over the long term. A good SEO strategy is more sustainable and long-lasting.
If you’re not sure how to implement an SEO strategy, you can invest in a content marketing company to guide you. This will incur costs, but see it as a long-term investment that pays off with a competitive advantage over your competitors.
Whether you want to DIY your SEO or work with a marketing company, SEO is not a component of web design you want to overlook.
It leads to better search engine visibility.
Website design that incorporates good SEO practices is more likely to rank high in search and improve site visibility.
Think of SEO as a beacon of light drawing audiences to the shores of your website. It helps users find your site among millions of other options. Without it, your website might be a work of art, but no one will see it because it will be buried at the bottom of the page or fail to rank on the first page.
Here are a few SEO tactics to consider in your web design:
- Keyword optimization: This involves researching relevant search terms users are likely to type in a search. You can strategically place those keywords in your web content so that search engines link what users are searching for to what you offer on your site.
- Clear URLs: A clear URL works like file labels in a filing cabinet. It is easy to read and accurately captures what your website does by using relevant keywords. It helps search engines understand what the website content is about so it can connect your site with the right audiences. It also makes it easier for users to read as well.
- Metadata: This refers to information embedded in HTML code that includes information about a site and its content, such as keywords, title, and a description. Metadata is another way search engines understand the purpose of a website and rank it accordingly.
Reminder: It’s still about quality. Having a ton of keywords stuffed on a website that doesn’t address your audience’s needs or tell a compelling story won’t help your visibility. Your primary goal should be delivering high-quality content that’s optimized for SEO, rather than prioritizing SEO over quality. This is fundamental to giving users a valuable and meaningful experience, which keeps your audience coming back for more.
It improves user experience.
Getting users to land on your site is one thing; getting them to stay is another. Your website will be judged by how appealing it is to look at, how easy it is to navigate, and if it works. If users routinely bounce off a site after a few seconds, search engines will see that as an indication that the site is not user-friendly and should be ranked lower.
Focusing on web design that enhances a good user experience is important to your SEO strategy, just like quality content. A good web designer will consider user experience as part of the overall SEO strategy. They can make a site visually appealing and accessible so users find a site intuitive and hassle-free to use. Web design should function quickly on both desktop and mobile, ensuring a good experience across multiple platforms. Sites should load quickly and smoothly so users don’t lose patience and bail, impacting how the site ranks in search.
It boosts credibility.
Think of your own search practices. If you search “SEO in web design,” you pay more attention to the top-ranking results. Most people never scroll past the first few results…and the second page might as well be a wasteland.
Sites that pop up on the first page and near the top are ideally placed to grab attention and get clicks, which reinforces the hard-earned placement of those sites. Those sites are also seen as highly credible. High visibility and credibility go hand-in-hand.
Credibility through ranking should be reflected with credibility in design, meaning that sites should be designed to build trust with users and encourage them to stay on the site longer. For example, a company that includes an About page and tells a compelling brand story about what the company does and why establishes a sense of authority and builds trust. Customer testimonials and reviews reinforce this. Search engines (and your customers) will also see links to articles, videos, and other media related to the business as signs of expertise and authority.
It helps you connect with local customers.
SEO is a key way for businesses to connect with local customers. SEO helps customers know where a business is and why they should stop by. If you run a brewery in Houston, TX, for instance, make sure your website is optimized so your company ranks high for searches like “breweries near me” or “breweries in Houston.” You’ll want to add specific location pages to your website to attract local customers and think strategically about your use of keywords.
Consider setting up a Google business profile, updating your business hours, and adding customer reviews to your site, which shows both search engines and potential customers that you’re open and ready for business.
It increases conversions.
You want users who click on your site to convert to paying customers. SEO plays an important part in making that happen.
You don’t want just any person landing on your site – you want to attract users who are the right fit for your product and services so that you can provide a level of value that leads to conversions. Optimizing your website to attract the right users increases your chances of converting a user to a paid customer.
When those customers land on your site, accessible, clear web design and quality content create a positive impression. When users are ready to convert, good web design should ensure they can do so with ease.
It helps you stay competitive.
With millions of websites available and endless choices for users to click on, you don’t want to miss out on a key part of standing out and connecting with customers. A web design plan that includes a solid content strategy for search engine optimization will rise above the competition.
Ultimately, SEO guides you in making intentional choices to achieve two important results: a higher ranking in search and more engaged audiences.
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