Effective website design is essential to any SEO marketing strategy. The way we consume online versus printed material is different, so website design needs to be done with these considerations in mind.
What makes an effective design? How can you be sure that you are doing your best in this department? Let's explore top tips, strategies, and styles on how to redesign websites for SEO effectiveness.
SEO Basics
The basics of Google's search engine optimization system have not changed much in the past years.
The core is still:
- keywords
- links
- relevance
- reputation
- trust
- high-quality content
- visitor satisfaction
- Google says that good 'user experience is the answer to having a successful blog.
Websites that are easy and fun to navigate get the highest rankings, according to the company.
Unacceptable Keyword Implementation
Website owners, according to Google, should use Google Analytics to help create SEO keywords and to write naturally rather than focusing only on keyword density.
Google Search Console will also be helpful when deciding on keyword additions.
Relevance, Reputation, Trust
When a website is authentically informative, authoritative, relevant to a user's search, clear, natural, useful, and random, chances are high that Google will treat that site respectfully.
SEO experts understand that search intentions usually fall somewhere in these three categories:
- Navigational - the user is cognizant of the targeted location
- Informational - the user wants to acquire knowledge
- Transactional - the user wants to shop, sign up, or register
Visitor Satisfaction
It may seem obvious, but there are still some website owners who are not focused on making their visitors' time on the site satisfying. The idea is to align your viewers' needs with what you are offering.
The two main reasons individual searches on the Internet are to solve a problem or for entertainment.
If your guests can find an answer or be entertained, they become followers, fans, or clients. Then they tell their friends about your site and the more likely it is that you become respected, referred to, and talked about.
Bold Headings
A recent study found that people only read 60 percent of an online article. Online readers are only interested in what they are searching for. In most cases, these readers will scan articles to find the information relevant to their needs.
A great way to make sure that they can find this information?
A good heading will inform the viewer what the following section is about. It will stand out from the page making it easy for someone who is scanning an article to see it.
And finally, it will provide readers with a brief outline of the piece they are looking at. If you want to write effective copy, bold headings are a great place to start. Not only do they stand out, but they also break your articles up into smaller more readable sections.
Ditch the Negative
Good website SEO maintains a tone of positivity. Ultimately, you want to make an impression on readers. You want them to remember your brand or business and turn to you for information, products, entertainment, etc.
Striking a negative tone in your design is ill-advised and it is easily avoidable. For example, instead of highlighting the things you don't do, why not tell your readers about the things that you do.
Take the won't's and don't's and use will and do instead. This makes for stronger SEO and creates a more positive perception of your brand.
Keep it Concise
Good design is brief and to the point. There is no need to pontificate. Get your information out. Explain it in clear terms. Keep your copy brief, and you will find it more successful.
Use Bullets
Bullet points are great in website design. Why is this?
- Keeps information brief
- Highlights key details
- Easy-to-read
- Makes finding relevant information fast
- Helps readers internalize information
Anytime you are going to have a list of four or more points, you should format it into a bullet point list.
The important thing to remember is to not overdo the buffeted lists. You should not have more than two of these lists (three at the absolute maximum) per page.
Make it About Them
The simplest way you can do this with your website copy is to use the word you more in your writing. It is natural for us to be more interested in material that speaks directly to us.
Addressing your audience is a powerful way to maintain their attention.
2. A Mobile-First Search Index
In recent years, more and greater emphasis is being placed on mobile optimized pages over a desktop.
Moreover, studies show that desktop and mobile users are seeing different results for the same query.
Many experts predict that indexing mobile pages will eventually take precedence, in addition to being weighted differently.
The Need for Speed
Having a fast loading website is paramount. Search engine not only use it as a ranking factor, but it also impacts user experience. In fact, Google will expect a website to fully load in less than 3 seconds.
If your website is not meeting this threshold, consider making changes to your website design and upgrading your hosting. A simple design will sometimes produce better results.
Quality of Content
Google does not reward sites that have:
- sneaky affiliate links
- unmoderated comments
- low-quality content
- malicious or annoying downloads
- pop-ups
- lengthy and slow click-through windows Links
The types of links that can damage a site owners success are:
o deceptive
- artificial
- manipulative
- bought links
- link schemes
How to Effectively Redesign Websites
While keyword research and optimization still dominates SEO, experts are seeing a shift to natural language and contextual search over the last several years.
Likely a consequence of mobile devices and voice search, search engines are working to understand and interpret natural language and user intent, rather than providing relevant results for a keyword.
Web designers should switch their focus toward longer long-tail keywords with a stronger understanding of user intent and use of language.
Website design is important to SEO. You can follow these tips, strategies, and formatting ideas effectively redesign websites. For more information, contact us.
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