When developing your site, it’s necessary to focus on your visuals and content. It’s not ideal to focus solely on your site’s graphic elements. Nowadays, a business owner must consider their site’s effectiveness in blending Search Engine Optimization (SEO) with quality web design.
The relationship between SEO and web design elements
With consumers preferring the use of online platforms, investing in your company’s online image is a determining factor for its growth. SEO is a crucial component of how businesses can have a better brand placement for online audiences, so it’s best to develop it with effective strategies. Contrary to popular belief, SEO doesn’t just stop with your ad copies and blog posts; it’s also applicable to your web design practices.
In this article, we will share three design elements that affect your site’s SEO ranking.
1. Cluttered graphical elements
Although network connectivity is much faster now than before, that doesn’t mean you should overload your online visitor’s bandwidth. There’s a reason why most web developers are moving towards minimalist design options, from marketing copies to iconographies. The most successful brands own websites that contain compact graphical elements and maintain compact text volumes.
Contemporary web designs focus more on telling more with less, which is why sites don’t contain too many graphical elements. When you’re designing your landing pages, ensure that you’re only focusing on a few key messages instead of bombarding your online visitors with information and visuals.
Picture your pages without its navigation tools and plot out the page’s layout. The less suffocating your pages are, the easier it will be for viewing. It’s a principle you have to observe, especially when you consider mobile site viewers.
2. Heavy media sizes
Besides the placement of your visuals, you should also consider their file sizes. If you want to ensure that you have a high SERP (Search Engine Results Page) ranking, you should prioritize your site loading speed. The issue with investing too much in your page’s visual aspect f your page is that it affects your page’s loading speed. For this reason, search engine web crawlers will rank your site poorly.
Slow loading sites generally result in higher bounce rates since it ruins your user’s experience. This is why you must declutter your site as much as you can. Don’t use videos unless they’re necessary, and remove any plug-ins or themes that are weighing down your site. You can also optimize your images for faster loading. Thankfully, you can use digital tools like Progressive Web Apps (PWA) to boost your site’s efficiency where necessary.
3. On-page SEO
Although your site’s layout will have the most impact on your audiences, your on-page SEO will still be the determining factor of your SERP rankings. On-page SEO is the management of your site’s elements, not just your text. This is why you should be mindful of how you implement strategies like link building and keyword placement.
For keyword placement, it’s unwise to focus solely on your marketing copies and page headings. It’s also beneficial to include meta descriptions and landing page URLs to reinforce your SEO. For link building, remember to have strong internal linking for your pages while also referencing valid sources beyond your site. This will ensure that you won’t have orphan pages and create streamlined navigation from one page to another.
Conclusion
Creating an effective website is a step towards getting higher engagement from online users, which is why you must invest in its functionality. For this reason, your sites must incorporate healthy SEO practices and compelling web design principles. Prioritizing both aspects is sure to improve your brand’s placement among today’s online-focused consumers.
Oake Marketing is a digital marketing agency in Ontario that can develop your SEO for you. We can align your business’s marketing efforts to improve your search engine rankings. Get in touch with us today, and our marketing experts will ensure your online presence’s development!
