Today, user engagement metrics like bounce rate, time on site, and pages visited have all elevated to the status of important ranking factors, in contrast to a decade ago when you could rank a site solely based on keywords and backlinks.
When determining which websites are of a calibre deserving of top search rankings, best SEO company Gold Coast said that Google takes into account actual human behaviour. Usability and UX design have since evolved into crucial elements of SEO.
In addition to the basic on-page SEO that every website needs, simple UX design considerations can significantly increase engagement and, by extension, rankings.
User experience design also referred to as “interaction design,” is the process of creating a website that is user-friendly.
UX design is like a house’s blueprint.
A blueprint specifies everything from the number of rooms, window placement, and which way doors open to the location of appliances.
Google is obsessed with creating its own positive user experiences. That is how they have a monopoly on the search engine market.
Google and other search engines strive to provide effective search results that are ranked using machine learning, artificial intelligence, and natural language processing.
It’s all well and good for me to say that UX design is important – but WHY? Where’s the tangible proof that UX design needs to be a business consideration?
A UX design process typically starts with research on the intended audience for a website:
- Their pain points
- Their motivations
- Their goals
- What they need to achieve on the site
- Even what they’ll probably be doing and in which emotional state when they encounter different pages
Yes, UX design is extensive.
A good UX design’s overarching goal is to deliver the right information at the right time and to keep a visitor moving through the website to achieve their intended goal.
When it comes to search engine optimization (SEO), it’s important to focus on user experience (UX), according to research.
Items like menus that are placed in logical places, well-written content, and strategic use of related content can help your website rank higher in search results.
So whether you’re a new user or an experienced web user, take these seven UX design elements into account for better SEO results!
Focus on one main audience.
While most businesses have two or three website audiences, creating content that appeals to all of them equally is impossible. A strong website has content structure, navigation, and messaging that are primarily focused on assisting a primary audience in achieving their objectives.
This will result in stronger on-page interaction signals (those that communicate with search engines) and more conversions.
That’s not to say you should disregard everyone else. CTAs and menu options can be used to direct secondary and tertiary audiences to pages with their own messaging and user flows.
Place menus in logical places.
You want your website’s content discovery to be simple, whether you’re using a laptop, a tablet, a desktop, or a phone. Menus are expected to be used, and they expect to find them in ‘normal’ places.
According to our founder and lead UX designer Shawn Johnston, obscuring hamburger menus on a desktop site is “like putting car doors on the roof because the sides of the car look nicer without lines on it.”
Save the hamburgers for mobile, and make sure your menus are easily clicked or tapped.
This applies to your main and footer menus, as well as search bars or filtering menus to assist visitors in finding that content. Learn more in our full article on best practices for website navigation.
As with menu options, you should select all options with an eye toward creating a logical user flow. Visitors’ ability to achieve their objectives is hampered by the following factors:
- There are too many references to various types of content.
- Many intrusions (pop-ups, other lead generation requests)
- Too many menu options
If your website is well-designed, your content will be easily accessible without overwhelming the visitor.
Ensure clear wording on menus and CTA buttons.
As a user experience designer, it’s important to ensure that your website’s SEO content is keyword rich and clear. This includes ensuring that menus and CTA buttons are keyword rich and easy to understand.
Keyword research is the first step in ensuring that your content is keyword rich, but you can also use other UX design elements to improve your website’s SEO. For example, using big headlines and contrasting colours can help users scan through your content more quickly.
Also, make sure to keyword tag all your content using the correct keyword research terms. By following these simple UX design tips, you can ensure that your website’s SEO content is clear and keyword rich.
Be strategic with related content.
UX design is an important part of website design, and it has a big impact on search engine optimization (SEO).
Here are five elements of UX design that can help improve your website’s SEO:
- Use keyword research to find relevant keyword phrases and keyword optimization strategies that work best for your website.
- Incorporate keyword-rich titles and meta descriptions throughout your website.
- Make sure your website content is keyword-rich and keyword-optimized.
- Use user experience (UX) design strategies that improve user experience and conversion rates.
- Build user flows that are intuitive and easy to navigate.
Images and illustrations.
Images and illustrations play a big role in the optimization of a website’s SEO.
Not only do they help to improve the user experience, but they can also help to increase the ranking of a website on search engine results pages (SERPs). When it comes to images, make sure that they are high-quality and relevant.
Use images relevant to your website’s content, and ensure that they are keyword-rich. Try to use images that are high-quality, and that will look good on both desktop and mobile displays.
When it comes to illustrations, make sure that they are relevant to the content of your website. Illustrations can help to explain complex concepts in an easy-to-understand way. Try to use illustrations that are high-quality and keyword-rich.
Additionally, make sure that you include an illustration or image for every page of your website. This will help to improve the ranking of your website on search engine results pages.
Your page flow should tell a story.
Good user experience (UX) design is essential for website success. This is because users spend more time on sites that are easy to navigate and look visually appealing.
As best SEO company Gold Coast experts, keeping user experience in mind when designing your website’s page flow is important. This will ensure that all pages link back to each other correctly and that content is easily searchable.
In addition, use headings and subheadings to group related content together and use images and videos to break up the text. Finally, consider designing your page flow to tell a story. This will help your website rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs).
Conclusion
Following these UX design elements can help your website’s SEO success.
By focusing on one main audience and using clear, concise wording, you can make your website easier to navigate.
In addition, be strategic with related content and images, and make sure your page flow tells a story. With these tips in mind, your website’s SEO will be improved!