When it comes to improving website performance, there are several factors to keep in mind. Unfortunately, people tend to focus most of their attention on one or two factors they deem most important. In reality, there are several aspects of web design that impact search engine optimisation. In this article, we explore five elements of web design that directly impact SEO.
Mobile-Friendly
If you want your target audience to be able to find your website through search engines, it’s essential to make sure your site is designed in a way that will allow them to do so. One of the factors that can impact your site’s ranking in search engine results pages is whether or not it is mobile-friendly. In the first quarter of 2021, mobile devices made up over 50 per cent of global website traffic, so a mobile-friendly website is an absolute must!
A mobile-friendly website is easy to use and navigate on a mobile device. This means that it should have a responsive design, which means the layout and content adjust automatically to fit the screen size it is being viewed on. Additionally, mobile-friendly websites should have touch-friendly elements, such as large buttons and links spaced far apart, so that users can easily tap on them.
If you’re not sure if your website is currently mobile-friendly, you can use Google’s Mobile Friendly Test tool. Simply enter your URL and Google will analyse your site and tell you if it passes their criteria for being mobile-friendly. If it doesn’t, they will provide suggestions for how you can make improvements.
Digestible Website Content
The design of your website must make content easy to digest. A poor website design can make it, so visitors find it incredibly difficult to read the content you create. For example, blocks of content in illogical places, too many hyperlinks and inconsistent typefaces will mean that visitors are distracted from your content and more likely to click away from your website.
On the other hand, a thoughtfully designed website filled with digestible content attracts valuable customers. A well-designed website creates a positive first impression that can encourage potential customers to stay on your site longer.
Website Speed
It’s no secret that website speed is a key ranking factor for search engines. In fact, Google has stated that page speed is now a ranking signal in mobile search. Therefore, if your website is slow, it will not only rank lower in search results but also frustrate users, leading to higher bounce rates and fewer conversions.
There are several steps you can take to improve your website’s speed, including:
- Optimising images
- Leveraging browser caching
- Enabling compression
- Reduce redirects
Sitemap Structure
Sitemaps are essential for SEO because they help search engines understand your website’s structure, allowing them to crawl your site more efficiently. Think of a sitemap as a road map for search engines that tells them where everything is on your website.
A well-structured sitemap can help improve your website’s crawlability, leading to better indexation and improved rankings in search engine results pages (SERPs). Once you have created a sitemap, you need to submit it to Google Search Console.
Images
Images are a central part of any website design, and they can impact search engine optimisation in a number of ways:
- Visual appeal. Images can help improve the visual appeal of a website, making it more attractive to visitors—this can lead to improved click-through rates and higher rankings in search engine results pages.
- Speed. Images can help improve the speed and performance of a website, which is another key factor that search engines consider when ranking websites.
- Keywords and alt text. Using keywords in image file names and alt text can help improve the relevance of a website for specific search queries.
Final Thoughts
Website design has a demonstrable impact on search engine optimisation—but it’s not the be-all and end-all of SEO. You also need to focus on other important factors, such as your site’s content, including keywords and backlinks. If you can get all of these aspects working together, you’ll be well on your way to boosting your website’s search engine rankings.
However, it might be time to call in the experts if you are a little out of your depth regarding web design and SEO. A professional web design company will be able to offer exceptional services tailored to your business, including web design and search engine optimisation. So get in touch today to learn how we can help your organisation thrive online!