In the early days of SEO, many of the most popular tactics involved boosting a website’s rankings at the expense of user experience. For example, some SEOs employed methods like keyword stuffing, or even inserting “invisible” keywords into their copy. Today, the landscape has shifted significantly, in ways that are advantageous to both SEO and end user alike: It is now well-understood that, if you want your site to rank well, it also needs to offer a positive experience to your readers.
It’s not hard to understand why this might be the case. After all, Google and other search engines ultimately want to provide their users with valuable, relevant content. It makes sense, then, that they would honor websites that actually engage readers through substantive and well-formatted content. In other words, appealing to the search algorithms means appealing to your users, delivering content that’s easy to navigate and loaded with engaging information. Doing so will improve traffic, dwell time, and ultimately SEO rankings.
Tips for UX Design
What all of this means is that, in order to have your site rank well, you need to ensure it’s designed with user experience in mind. To that end, it’s worth mentioning that enCOMPASS Agency places an emphasis on user experience (UX) design: Our sites are developed from the ground up to be engaging and easy to navigate, with the intention of pleasing your customers while also improving your rankings on the Web.
As for specific UX design strategies that can improve SEO rankings, we’ll note just a few of the essentials.
Mobile-First Pages
More than half of your visitors are going to be using mobile devices. As such, the mobile version of the site shouldn’t be considered tertiary; it should really be regarded as the main version of the site. That means every page should be designed for accessibility, ease of reading, and ease of navigation from phones and tablets.
Page Speed
Nobody has 30 minutes to spend waiting for your site to load. In fact, if your content takes more than three or four seconds to generate, you’re probably going to lose some visitors, who will hit their “back” button to try another page on the Google search engine results page (SERP). Make sure you test your page speed and optimize it for maximum efficiency.
Easy Navigation
Ease of navigation is a critical aspect of UX design. Simply put, you need a clear and logical site architecture that makes it very intuitive for users to find the information they’re after. Sometimes, this may mean pruning unnecessary pages from your site; and if you do have a sprawling multi-page site, be sure the pages are organized into a hierarchy that makes sense.
Use of Headings and Subheadings
We generally recommend breaking down larger pieces of content (especially pages with 300 words or more) using headings and subheadings. For one thing, this makes it easy for search engine users to skim through the page and ensure it answers their questions. For another, headings and subheadings are smart places to include some of your target SEO keywords.
A Clear Site ID
When a user first visits your website, they want to be greeted by something that confirms where they are and lets them know what they can expect from the site. This may mean a logo, a tagline, or simply a clear heading and summary that provide some indication of what the page is all about.
User-Friendly Layouts
Still another important consideration is the page layout itself. Again, the goal should be to make it incredibly easy for users to navigate your content and find the information they’re after. In addition to headings and subheadings, use bullet points and lists as appropriate. Consider ways to enliven your page with images, infographics, and video. And place calls-to-action in prominent places, making it clear how users can take the next step toward making a purchase, setting an appointment, or simply learning more about your business.
Plenty of Testing
UX design is a process, and it is important to continually test your page, explore different variations, and keep a close eye on Google analytics. Specifically watch for any impact UX changes seem to have on your SEO rankings or on your bounce rate.
These are just a few of the factors to keep in mind as you seek to design a website that’s designed for maximum appeal… first to search engine users, and then to the search algorithms themselves.
Learn More About UX Design
At enCOMPASS Agency, one of the things we’re known for is building websites with sales and marketing in mind. As we create sites for our customers, the relationship between UX and SEO is a foremost concern. We’d love to tell you more. Reach out to enCOMPASS anytime you’re ready to chat.
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