A new or updated website is a great starting place to transform your digital brand. Your new web design project will showcase your products and services, tell your story, and grow your brand. But, will users be able to find it?
Innovative and attractive web design will “wow” users after they’ve arrived. But unfortunately, the site itself won’t be able to attract users unless the principles of SEO are followed.
Below, we’ve discussed how web design and SEO work together to connect your website with the biggest possible audience.
A vital part of the web design process is search engine optimization or SEO. Your new website will need to be optimized in order to connect your brand with the internet’s millions of searchers.
Your fresh website will garner attention from several places, including social media accounts or other direct links. But, nothing really beats organic search in terms of eyeballs.
In fact, 53 percent of website traffic across the entire internet comes from organic searches. Organic just means the section of search results below paid advertisements. Organic results are a level playing field, therefore, the only investment required is the time put in.
What is Web Design and SEO?
You’ve probably heard about the process of web design and SEO separately, however, the two are tightly intertwined.
Web Design and SEO together are the process of creating a website while considering rules, guidelines, and practices to receive better rankings from major search engines like Google or Bing. Search engine optimization is complex itself and is constantly changing. Luckily, guidelines are easy to learn.
In addition to making a website functional and attractive, designers will expose your brand to millions of individuals using search engines daily to find answers, products, and services. The crowded space of search engine results can bury your website if not optimized.
Designers will make an effort to capture the attention of website users and turn them into paying customers. However, your team needs to take steps to turn internet surfers into website users. Here is where web design and SEO meet and become closely intertwined.
A Web Design and SEO Misconception
If you’ve waited until after the website launch to start focusing on SEO, unfortunately, you’ve made a mistake.
Web design and SEO are tightly intertwined. Therefore, if you’re creating a website, you need to consider SEO guidelines from the start. Search engines are constantly updating and changing guidelines. Plus, indexing and ranking can take time. If your site launches without SEO considerations, you may find yourself behind the eight ball.
Don’t play catch-up and optimize all aspects of your website from the start. Then, as competitors react after the launch of your site, or if other factors change, you’ll be prepared to react on the fly.
So… who should do my Web Design and SEO?
If you are looking to outsource your web design and SEO project, you have multiple options.
Many digital marketing companies can handle both tasks effectively. A company that specializes in web design will provide the highest quality website. And an SEO-focused company can provide recommendations to improve rankings.
However, the best option is to make your web design and SEO provider the same company.
With this option, you will minimize confusion and miscommunications. And you will have a fully optimized site from the beginning of the web design process. You will still benefit from quality web design, and your website ranking will not lag behind.
Quick Web Design and SEO Tips
Following SEO principles and reaching the goal of an optimized site is incredibly powerful. Website traffic is a great sign, regardless of what goals your business has. Increased website traffic will create more ecommerce sales, leads for salespeople, or views of your website’s message.
So, where do you begin on the journey to increase website traffic? Since search engine users turn to the top results first, increasing search engine ranking directly leads to more website traffic.
Keep reading for some quick web design and SEO tips your organization can easily apply.
1) Write Readable Content
Search engines will reward content they deem readable and engaging for readers. A long, engaging, and easy-to-read article will provide value to your audience, and search engines will take notice. Search engines will also notice if users are quickly navigating away from short content that lacks depth and significance for the reader.
2) Answer burning questions
Do you hear the same question or concern from customers regularly? Users are likely turning to search engines to find the answers to their burning questions. Use your website as an opportunity to provide expertise on these topics. Your site is likely to appear in search results if you answer burning questions well. Organic traffic will increase, and goodwill will form with website readers.
3) Provide responsive design
Another element of web design and SEO is the responsiveness of the site, or the ability to be used on different platforms and devices. Google will punish websites that are difficult to use on a mobile device. Creating a seamless transition from desktop to mobile for users is another way web design and SEO are tightly tied together.
