A lot of business owners do not realise just how much web design impacts upon their search engine optimisation (SEO). Get it wrong and the marketing efforts of your website will be dramatically reduced; your online presence will be minimised and referrals from your site will take a dive.

Having a great website is about so much more than just looking good and any professional web designer will understand what is required to make it easier for not only viewers but also search engines to find and navigate your site.

Let’s take a look at some of the many ways in which web design impacts upon your SEO.

Kicking off with keywords

It all begins with a good SEO agency and by using an expert web designer, you will be assured that they will do all necessary to guarantee that you remain ahead of the competition by including essential factors that will impact positively upon your SEO rankings. Keywords come top of the list as they provide a target for what your business is about (what you do and what services you provide) and can be used to showcase your brand. By using the right keywords in a strategic and carefully planned way, your web designer will ensure that your SEO marketing is as powerful as it needs to be.

But great keywords don’t just appear by chance – detailed research has to be carried out in order to produce powerful words that will work their magic. Each word of set of words should be carefully evaluated keeping them fairly simple and not so technical that they will interfere with the clarity of the text. You should always think of SEO as a long-term project; whilst you may change your web design to suit your current requirements, your online visibility is totally dependent upon your SEO. Any good web designer will not only design a site that looks visually appealing but will ensure that it contributes towards you appearing at the top of search engine rankings, getting your brand out there and seen.

Desirable Design

As for the design of your site, this is something that viewers will be immediately aware of as soon as they land on your home page; if it looks outdated or is very slow, expect a quick exit and a search for your competitors. Your web designer will design your site so that potential clients can find it easily and navigate it intuitively. Visitors to your site that find what they need quickly and without fuss are far more likely to add you to their bookmarks, ready to return.

Search engines also take note of your website navigation so always bear in mind that not paying attention to proper web development can affect your SEO ranking negatively as your site will not be regarded as search engine friendly.

Get your brand talking

Your brand also needs to stand out. This can be done by making your site consistent with your business identity, boosting your credibility and adding an air of professionalism. If your brand includes set colours and a logo, these needs to be carefully included within your site so that as soon as viewers see it, they will recognise it as being you. It is a mistake to make pages too cluttered with heavy text and too many images; much better to keep it clean and attractive, which is something that a search engine expert can take care of for you.
All images used on your site need to be relevant and of high quality. Nothing puts viewers off more than poorly photographed images or ones that have not been compressed so they take ages to load. It is also a good idea to add titles, descriptions or captions so that when people look at them they do not have to guess as to what they are.

Social Media

Social media is everywhere and everyone uses it to share information and keep in touch. Search engines also take account of your social media presence so if you want to be up there with the crowds, your website must take account of this. Your social media pages; Facebook, Twitter etc. can be linked to your website and vice versa, allowing people to quickly access your brand and full details about your business. When your web designer takes account of this, they will sign you up for all of the social networks that you have chosen and then provide shareable links. Social media is such a powerful tool that you need to take full advantage of all of the opportunities that it offers if you are not to be left high and dry.

High quality content is a must

Never go for the cheap option when it comes to your SEO content; writing it yourself is fine if you have some talent but if not, leave it to the professionals. It needs to be interesting, focused, current, accurate and not too full of keywords as is search engines detect over-usage you will be penalised and sent to the back of the class (in other words, back towards the bottom of the search engine rankings). By working alongside a search engine specialist, they will be able to provide you with first-class content that will work hard for you when placed on your site, extending your reach and attracting more of the right sort of people. When it comes to your search engine rankings, if you are seen to be an expert in your particular field, this will have a significant impact.

Let’s sum it up with a KISS

Keep It Simple Stupid – this is not meant as an insult but a timely reminder that if your site is too complex it will not appeal to users. When you sit down with your chosen web designer and discuss your business and what you need the site to do, he will explain to you that the simpler it is, the more user-friendly it will become and the more effective it will be as an online marketing tool. Top of his list will be things like intuitive site structure, ease of navigation, correct use of images and carefully placed text. All of this taken care of in the right way will do much to boost your SEO.

We must not forget that for any internet marketing campaign to be successful, web design services are essential but responsiveness is also top-of-the-pops when it comes to boosting your search engine rankings. How well your site is designed (or not) will feed straight through to your rankings and determine whether you will have a powerful online presence or a weak one. The design of your site is related to how search engines analyse and perceive your site, as well as how users/potential customers and current customers react to it.

Take the time to choose a reputable, professional and creative web designer in Birmingham and have full peace of mind, knowing that your web design will impact upon your search engine optimisation in the right way.