Web Design and SEO( Search Engine Optimization) are both crucial for businesses that function online.
Well, standing in 2019 you can say both are incomplete without each other. The connection between them is just like ‘Human and oxygen’.
Great website design is important for any business which has an online presence. But even you make a mind blowing website, the most important thing that comes next is SEO.
SEO is of utmost importance when it comes to your website ranking in search engine result pages. Marketing in 2019 has many aspects one can think about. SEO can help drive traffic to your website and increase your site’s exposure This traffic and leads can later be converted into sales.
So, Search Engine Optimization needs to be integrated into the web design process efficiently.
What is the use of a dynamic website if it is not found in Google. This is why Web design and SEO strategy is related to each other.
Combining Web Design and SEO: Everything Designers should know.
There are several ways to build a website. But building an SEO friendly website in 2019 genuinely needs proper planning and execution. You should follow your business model, focus on what is important and value proposition.
Step 1 # Information Architecture and website URLs.
Using the right format for URL is mandatory. A rightly optimized URL can speak on behalf of the website and what service/product are we focussed on. With dumb or irrelevant URLs you may hurt your traffic and results in search engine.
First sort out the website architecture. Line up the major categories that you need like Homepage, About us, Service page, Product information, FAQ content and then distribute the information in sub-categoric style.
Organize the necessary information in such a way that it is readable and help catch attention from users. While Structuring information about your business make sure the content makes sense and simplifies navigation.
Step 2 # Keep your site navigation simple
Navigation is important than all other major factors while designing a site. Navigation goes good with a well-structured site. It interacts with the structure and even URLs to help users understand what is a page all about.
Simple navigation helps users explore more about a site and find a product or content faster.
You must understand the need for your customers and what they expect. Navigation could help raise awareness of other additional services.
So just make your navigation smooth and simple to take your users in the right direction.
Step 3 # Importance of Mobile-First Indexing
Mobile-Friendly optimization in 2019 is not a trend anymore. It has become mandatory for an online business to make their site mobile friendly. Because data suggest, 60 percent of total searches are made via a mobile device.
Google says above 60 percent of users bounce off the website if there is any problem accessing it and 40 percent turns up to competitor website. Google rolled out an update on mobile-first algorithm a few years back, thus you need to make the user experience for mobile users better than before. It can drive more traffic and boost your website ranking in search engine result pages.
Step 4 # Unique Meta Tags and Keyword research is crucial
Though meta descriptions and keyword don’t contribute directly to the ranking factor. It is the content of your advertisement for that page. This falls within OnPage SEO which means individual pages of your site are optimized to get better ranks in SERPs.
The title you use should be captivating and the keywords should be intriguing because it is the first thing a visitor sees in SERPs. Using researched keywords can make your users curious and they may end up loving the product you offer.
Meta descriptions define the content of a page in one line and can help improve click-through rates. Putting the right keyword at the right places could engage users and drive more traffic by creating importance.
Step 5 # Efficient domain& CMS and dedicated server hosting
Hosting is very vital because a fast site can make your users happy and engaged. A slow site can bounce customers to another competitor website. No one has time to wait in 2019.
CMS( Content management system) is a major thing for your website. Make sure your chosen CMS goes right with the situation and don’t let others choose for you.
Start with a great Domain name and relates to your business. You have to make sure that other sub-domains points to the main site. If there are broken links or multiple sub-domains, use 301 to redirect those site to the main URL or your users will end up landing nowhere.
If you follow these steps you would be able to combine your web design with SEO spectrum and make healthy and solid use of it. Make your website in such a way that it feels professional and authoritative.
Apart from these, I could give you an extra tip on Web Design and SEO: Everything designers should know.
Extra Tip # Site speed – It is one of the most important rankings factors acknowledged by Google itself. Check your site speed via any free SEO audit tool. Page loading time should be under 2-3 seconds. A page which takes more than 5 seconds could lose potential customers and hamper site ranking in SERPs. Giant businesses have experienced a substantial loss due to low site speed. Just be aware.
Wrapping up:
We have discussed a few point step by step on Web Design and SEO: Everything designers should know. Just like I said earlier in this article Web Design and SEO are incomplete without each other. Google notices all the factors which have been discussed above for ranking factors.
So don’t compromise any factor while Web Design and SEO.