SEO
November 30, 2023

3 Web Design Best Practices for SEO

SEO and digital marketing professionals understand that every aspect of a website plays a role in influencing SEO. Whether it's how the content has been written, how easily search engines can navigate your site, or even minor technical adjustments, everything plays a role in boosting organic rankings and traffic. 

However, in the midst of these considerations, it's easy for many web designers and developers to overlook a crucial ranking factor for search engines: user experience. This is where design comes into play and influences your website’s SEO performance.

1. Website Structure

Search engines aim to deliver users the most relevant and helpful results based on their searches.  Therefore, they look at whether the information of the webpage aligns with what a user expected to find after clicking a link. If the content is unclear and the layout is confusing, users will struggle to find what they need, and likely exit the page. This action sends a signal to Google that the provided information did not meet the user's expectations.

Site structure plays a pivotal role in how your site's pages connect and whether users can easily locate information. It’s a critical factor when search engines assess your organic ranking because a well-organised site structure ensures a positive user experience.

Design marks the starting point for every website, and site structure is a component that requires planning before the design process commences. This strategic approach aids the designer in determining the placement of menu items, quick links, sidebars, and other navigational cues to enhance the overall user experience. 

Ultimately, you want the navigational experience to be as intuitive as possible.

2. Site Speed – A Major Ranking Consideration

Implementing a design that is rich in images and intricate elements using CSS and JavaScript might be pleasing to the eye but it’s bound to slow down your website. This slowdown (which is especially impactful for mobile users) could result in a significant drawback, as 53% of mobile users are likely to abandon a site if it takes more than 3 seconds to load.

Google's extensive study reveals a direct correlation between page load time and bounce rate. The probabilities of bounce increase are as follows:

  • 1s to 3s: Probability of bounce increases by 32%
  • 1s to 5s: Probability of bounce increases by 90%
  • 1s to 6s: Probability of bounce increases by 106%
  • 1s to 10s: Probability of bounce increases by 123%

‍According to insights from a Crazy Egg article, a mere one-second delay in page load time leads to 11% fewer page views, a 16% decline in customer satisfaction, and a 7% reduction in conversions. This has the potential to significantly impact all your digital marketing endeavours.

Just think about it, how many times have you visited a website and after a few seconds of loading leave the webpage because it feels unprofessional or you don’t have the patience to wait for the page to finally load. 

3. Mobile Usability

Statista reports that a whopping 58.33% of website traffic is generated through mobile devices. This number is lower for B2B companies, but the B2B buyer journey is also far more complex and will still include mobile touchpoints on your website. Your digital marketing agency's concerns about mobile usability is not an upselling point, but likely a concern for results.

Contemplate the considerable time, effort, and resources you invest in driving traffic to your website. If 58% of users encounter difficulties navigating your site and reading its content, it implies a significant waste of resources. 

Seasoned website designers prioritise responsiveness from the outset, and skilled web developers can craft a fully responsive user experience.

What Designing for SEO Boils Down to

Google's primary expectation for a website in terms of SEO is straightforward: it must contribute value in some manner. That is why it’s extremely important to ensure that your chosen digital marketing agency collaborates with SEO and digital marketing specialists who work with designers to optimise the website's structure and enhance the user experience for SEO objectives.