Deprecated: Using ${var} in strings is deprecated, use {$var} instead in /home4/freebig9/public_html/digitalmediathoughts/wp-content/plugins/all-in-one-seo-pack/app/Common/Admin/Usage.php on line 154

Deprecated: Using ${var} in strings is deprecated, use {$var} instead in /home4/freebig9/public_html/digitalmediathoughts/wp-content/plugins/all-in-one-seo-pack/app/Common/Migration/Meta.php on line 455

Deprecated: Using ${var} in strings is deprecated, use {$var} instead in /home4/freebig9/public_html/digitalmediathoughts/wp-content/plugins/all-in-one-seo-pack/app/Common/Migration/Meta.php on line 455

Deprecated: Creation of dynamic property AIOSEO\Plugin\Lite\Admin\PostSettings::$integrations is deprecated in /home4/freebig9/public_html/digitalmediathoughts/wp-content/plugins/all-in-one-seo-pack/app/AIOSEO.php on line 248
Web Design and SEO: How They are Connected | DigitalMediaThoughts.com
Home » Digital Marketing » Web Design and SEO: How They are Connected

Web Design and SEO: How They are Connected

seo web design

Are you aware about half of small US businesses do not have a website?

They should. A website draws customers and clients, but it also does something else few people realize: It affects your company’s ranking on search engines.

Do you want your business to be the first thing a customer sees when they search for your services or products? If so, read on to learn all about the connections between web design and SEO.

The Connection Between SEO and Web Design

The two are connected through the value your website offers the world. As you will see from this list, if you have a site that is made for your audience and was created with their convenience in mind, your SEO will naturally boost.

For anyone diving into the intricate world of SEO, when we say “SEO” we’re referring to Search Engine Optimization, a fancy term for where your website ranks when someone Googles anything you offer on your site.

Since Google comprises about 72% of searches, they are the ones at the forefront of SEO algorithms, the complicated formulas that hold a metaphorical gavel to determine how valuable your website is to searchers.

If you want to find success, it’s essential to understand what, exactly, that entails.

Title and Heading Tags

Title and heading tags are helpful to customers and to indexing. These tags make it easier for a customer to know what your article is discussing and for Google to recognize and categorize your article or post by topic.

Title and heading tags should be simple and easy for the search engine to understand, but they should also be catchy enough to keep your reader’s attention. Every page should have a different tag that utilizes keywords about its topic.

When you design your website, the coding in the title and heading won’t be seen by viewers, but it will be seen by Google crawlers. Google crawlers are programs used by Google to analyze websites. The data they collect impacts ratings.

Coding is something that is forgotten by many businesses when designing their site because it is “invisible.” However, these invisible tags are an easy way to spike your SEO.

Schema Markups

Schema markups are codes that modify how your website appears when it is listed in a search. Site creators can show customer reviews, business hours and more by utilizing these handy codes.

These “rich snippets” attract the eye and make information easier for customers to find. Rich snippets can display a variety of information:

  • Upcoming events
  • Products
  • Videos
  • Business information

The eye-catching tidbits lead to more clicks, which leads to higher rankings. Additionally, many SEO companies insist this has an impact on ranking, although Google denies this assertion.

Meta Descriptions

If you’re familiar with SEO, you’ve probably heard varying opinions about meta descriptions.

These are the snappy summaries that appear before an article, detailing exactly what the viewer is going to learn. In the past, meta descriptions were usually around 165 characters. In 2017, Google expanded this to the upper 200s and 300s, then (psyche!) redacted the characters again in 2018.

What does this mean for web designers? Firstly, it means you should keep your meta descriptions anywhere between 130 and 320 characters.

Google insists meta descriptions do not affect rankings. But you should still give them the attention they deserve. The search snippets that show up when someone types in a topic you’ve written about are an easy way to get a click.

If you give readers just enough information to know what the page is about or you stop just before they gain a real understanding of the topic, they are more likely to click on your site.

Taking this into consideration when designing your web page increases clicks, which increases SEO ranking.

Videos and Photos

Have you noticed more businesses have videos on their sites? This is a consequence of SEO.

When designing your site, embed other media sources onto the page. Google loves different media forms, such as videos, photos, infographics and more. And if you add alt tags and title tags to your images, their crawlers may start applauding you.

Alternative text (alt tabs) allows your site to reach a wider audience base by providing details about pictures or other visual graphics that not all visitors may be able to see. Like headers and title tags, they also help Google categorize your webpage.

Finally, consumers like videos and photos. A lot.

Video and image searches are on the rise and studies indicate content with photos and graphics can generate up to 94% more views.

Quality Information

If you take the time to make your site worthwhile for your customers, your SEO boosts.

Having quality links within your site drastically increases traffic, as does the content itself.

Content with creative takes increases SEO while repetitive information ranks lower. Using commonly-searched keywords throughout your articles (but not overstuffing them), helping clients solve issues and incorporating links to valuable sites (such as .edu or .gov sites) aids ranking and draws more clicks.

Mobile Optimization

At the start of 2017, mobile views accounted for almost half of webpage views worldwide.

Your website must be optimized for an assortment of mobile devices. Period.

Without this feature, you are decreasing your website’s views and adding a heavy burden to your ranking. As Google puts it, “Google does not favor any particular URL format as long as the page(s) and all page assets are accessible to all Googlebot user-agents.”

That might not mean optimizing will heighten your SEO to glorious spots, but that does mean your ranking is hurt without this feature.

User Friendliness

Finally, your website should be easy to navigate. This means clear, easy-to-find links to other pages, correct font sizes and no fluff within your content.

It also means having a page that loads quickly. Bounce rates (when an individual clicks on your site, then hits the “back” button almost immediately) not only harm your score, but they also lose visitors. A load time extension of one to seven seconds increases bounce rates by 113%.

Extend a Digital Hand

Web design and SEO are interlinked. Each thrives on the other in a symbiotic relationship that can boost a business to greater heights or drag them into the depths.

But designs impact more than SEO. They also have significant effects on viewers’ psychology, trust and more. Read all about it in our article.

If you haven’t updated your site in a while, get to it! The digital world is growing, and your company needs to be a part of it.