9 Points Web Design Should Overlap with SEO for Better Outcomes
Web designing and search engine optimization (SEO) are two distinct disciplines, but they should not exist in isolation. In fact, they should overlap and complement each other seamlessly.
Reason: A website’s design directly impacts its SEO performance and vice versa. Hence, when SEO professionals and web designers in Melbourne work in harmony, the result is a website that not only looks stunning but also ranks well on search engines.
So, how do you overlap these two subjects effectively?
Here’s an article that discusses the top 9 points where both web design and SEO come together. Let’s discuss one by one!
1. Mobile Responsiveness
In the age of smartphones, mobile responsiveness is paramount. It goes without saying that a well-designed and responsive website is what looks and functions flawlessly on various devices and screen sizes.
In fact, Google has made mobile-friendliness a ranking factor, so a mobile-responsive design is essential for success in terms of both web design and SEO. So, web designers in Melbourne often collaborate with SEO experts at this point to make your website responsive.
2. Page Speed
Site loading speed is a prime factor in SEO ranking. Visitors tend to abandon slow-loading sites, resulting in higher bounce rates. This is neither desirable to SEO experts nor web designers in Melbourne.
So, both experts work to optimize images, minimize code, and employ other techniques to enhance page loading speed, thus improving user experience and SEO.
3. Clean and Semantic HTML
Clean and semantic HTML code not only enhances a website’s aesthetics but also makes it more accessible to search engine crawlers. Properly structured HTML helps search engines understand the content hierarchy and relevance of your web pages.
For instance, structuring the content with subheadings such as h1, h2, h3, and so on. This creates a content hierarchy that is understandable for both search engines and real users.
4. Keyword Integration
Web designers should work closely with SEO experts to seamlessly integrate targeted keywords into the design. It includes incorporating keywords into headings, subheadings, and image alt text, ensuring the website aligns with SEO strategies.
It is the job of an SEO expert to do proper keyword research and place them strategically in the content.
5. Optimized Images
Images are an integral piece of web design, but they can also be a source of slow-loading pages if not optimized correctly. Designers should strike a balance between high-quality visuals and optimized image sizes to maintain a fast-loading website.
6. Content Layout and Readability
Content is king in SEO, and its layout plays a crucial role in user engagement. A well-designed website should present content in an organized, readable, and aesthetically pleasing manner.
For example, consider factors like font choice, line spacing, and paragraph structure to enhance readability. This is very much the domain of a content writer or an SEO expert, so seek one for further help.
7. Schema Markup Integration
Schema markup, also called structured data, helps search engines understand the context of your content. So, there’s a high priority to make good use of it. Ideally, your SEO expert and web designer in Melbourne collaborate to implement schema markup appropriately, particularly for local businesses or e-commerce websites.
8. Mobile-First Indexing
Google’s mobile-first indexing means that it primarily utilises a web page’s mobile version for ranking and indexing. This changes how we perceive web design dramatically.
As a result, web designers in Melbourne and everywhere else prioritize a mobile-first design approach and ensure all elements, including structured data and metadata, are consistent across mobile and desktop versions.
9. User Experience (UX) and Dwell Time
Finally, user experience is integral to both web design and SEO. A web page that delivers an excellent user experience encourages visitors to stay longer (increasing dwell time) and explore more pages, positively impacting SEO rankings.
To improve this aspect of your website, you must look at things from both web design and SEO angles. For example, typography may be the issue from the web design perspective, while content research may be failing from the SEO side.
Look from both lenses and decide on the appropriate course of action.
Final Thoughts
Web design and SEO are not isolated entities but interconnected facets of building a successful online presence. A website that embodies the principles of excellent web design while aligning with SEO best practices is highly likely to rank higher on search engines and attract and retain visitors.
But you see how in-depth this endeavour can be? You need dedicated professionals to make sure every single step is taken carefully and effectively.
For further help, reach out to Make My Website, one of the leading digital agencies in Australia. Whether you need a web designer in Melbourne or SEO in Geelong, you can connect with MMW.
With them, your website is in capable and dependable hands. But ensure making the right decision before it’s too late.
Good luck!