SEO
Why Your Website Design Needs SEO
Website design is about much more than making your site visually appealing for your visitors. Though the aesthetic aspect of website design is important, it is also essential to consider implementing SEO as you design your website.
SEO is likely the single most important thing that businesses should focus on when creating their websites. While other aspects of your website like link building and optimizing meta tags are important, SEO should be the bread and butter of your web design. An SEO agency will tell you to start with SEO first so that you’ll be better able to determine your audience, objectives, and more.
Using SEO in Web Design
While we all prioritize the design of a website, the SEO is what will determine how many people will be able to view the website. Through search engine optimization, you’ll be able to use keywords within your website’s code and content to rank higher on search engines and bring visitors to your site. But it is more than that… it is data. It is knowing what variables on a web page increase or decrease a web site rank in search engines.
With research and data comes smart design, site structure and page creation.
Defining the Purpose of Your Website
As you are just putting your site together, you need to ensure you have determined the purpose of your website. Answer the what, who, and why of your website.
What needs of your audience will you meet through your website? Who are you trying to attract? Why should a visitor return to your website? The answers to these questions will help you better design a website that your customers will benefit from.
Audience targeting is the beginning of keyword research. The keywords a website or business needs to rank for in order to reach a specific audience determines the number of pages needed. One targeted and well-written page per keyword that is well written, solves the search query and offers users valuable insight is really what web design is about. Google does not rank web sites based on colors or images… it is about the content and how well it solves a search query. Good web designers incorporate design to offer high conversion rates while providing aesthetically pleasing design.
Putting SEO First
So why is SEO so important? Consider the following reasons you need SEO:
- Define Your Target Audience
When updating your site or creating an entirely new one, use SEO to help define your target audience. As you analyze how competitors use SEO on their sites, you’ll be able to decide what to include or avoid in the design of your website. This research will help you identify the best keywords competitors are using, which will allow you to see what kind of audience your brand should be targeting. - Develop Your Content Framework
Your content framework is essentially the way your content is organized on your website. Content and web pages are formatted around keywords. As you perform keyword research, you’ll be able to see the type of content you need and where these pages will fit into your site. These keywords will help to predict the patterns of future visitors to your website, making it easier to figure out what they want to see in your content. - Create Content Optimized for Search Engines
When you start building your content, using SEO will ensure that your website can rank well with search engines. All content should use SEO keywords to make sure that the site will appear in the searches of your potential customers. This content should speak to the needs of your audience. Rich with keywords, your blogs, backend coding, and landing page content will guarantee you higher ranking in search results. - Guide Design on Your WebsiteJust as SEO will inform the content framework for your site, using the right keywords will help you design your website more effectively. The best websites are designed in a way that highlights the most appropriate content, making it easy for visitors to find what they need. Using SEO will ensure that every visitor is connected to a page that will make it easier for them to read, sign-up, or make a purchase.
Don’t leave SEO out when putting your website together. Keep these tips in mind as you create a website that will attract your target audience with the help of SEO.