5 Ways Web Design Supports Your Seo Efforts

We often mention how a good SEO strategy is essential to your overall digital marketing strategy, optimizing your online visibility and driving more traffic to your website. Building a website that incorporates SEO elements is a fantastic way to attract more customers and get the best return on your website investment. Smart WSI Marketing is an Edmonton-based internet marketing company that combines web design and marketing best practices to create SEO-focused websites that look great and help you rank higher. Call us today to discuss a custom digital marketing strategy to reach your business goals. 

The Role of a Website in Your SEO Marketing Strategy

Web design affects user experience and search engine rankings. A poorly designed website that doesn’t consider SEO can lower your SERP (search engine results page) ranking, which can significantly impact your business’s bottom line.

A good internet marketing agency helps brands increase and dominate their market share by using SEO tactics to:

• Boost credibility
• Support other digital marketing techniques like PPC campaigns
• Give your business a competitive advantage
• Reach a wider audience
• Improve website usability
• Boost user engagement rates

An SEO-focused website also helps you track quantifiable results like changes in rankings, website traffic, and conversions. For instance, you can see every user’s buying journey, including the website pages they engaged with, how long they stayed on the page, and whether they took specific actions.

Is SEO More Important Than Website Design?

The short answer is no; the two are equally important. Moreover, how your website is designed can make or break your SEO efforts.

When most people think of SEO, they usually picture keywords, search engines, and meta descriptions. They also tend to appreciate the role content marketing plays in their SEO efforts. Yet, website design isn’t something that’s typically seen as vital to an SEO strategy.

SEO-focused website design is essential because it helps bring the right people to your website. But that’s just half the battle. Once a customer reaches your website, its design is what keeps them there, encouraging them to engage and act.

Good website design also relies on great copy that helps you establish authority by presenting content in the right way for the right audience. High-quality, relevant content is what persuades your audience to purchase your goods or services, revisit your site, and recommend it to others.

Other ways to improve your SEO results with website design include:

1. Mobile-friendliness 

Mobile traffic now accounts for nearly half of all global web traffic, and it’s rumored the mobile experience is Google’s top-ranking algorithm. No matter what size your business is, you must offer great mobile user experiences if you want to increase conversion rates. Doing so can improve your SEO directly and indirectly, so be sure to allocate sufficient resources to ensure a great mobile experience.

2. Clear and compelling calls to action 

Websites designed with SEO in mind can convince people to visit your website, but of course, that’s only the start of their customer journey. Once a visitor lands on one of your website’s pages, they must have a clear idea of what action they need to take next, be it buying a product or service, signing up for a webinar, or downloading a freebie.

Strong calls to action (CTAs) communicate the right messages and play a significant role in directing a user’s attention. You want CTAs that stand out with visuals and colors that reflect your brand and enhance a visitors' experience. 

3. Free downloads or other resources

Despite the power of SEO, brands should not solely rely on it to boost conversions. That’s because it can take anywhere from six to eight marketing “touches” to generate a conversion. And with consumers now being exposed to up to ten thousand ads every day, they’ve learned to ignore many online advertising strategies, meaning it can take even more interactions to convert them. 

Visitors to your website come from many different sources, including digital ads, word-of-mouth recommendations, and social media efforts. If they can’t find the information they need to act quickly, they may exit your website and look elsewhere. Offering free downloads or other resources can keep them engaged while you build trust and authority and hopefully capture their contact information to use in your email marketing campaigns.

4. Keeping it simple

An effective website doesn’t have to include tons of bells and whistles. It’s best to avoid over-engineering your site, as it can lead to a decrease in organic search visibility. Simple URLs, for instance, are easier for visitors to remember and can also increase the click-through rate (CTR) of your organic listing because users see what page they are being led to easily.

5. Continuous improvement

Every business wants an attractive website, but good website design is much more than aesthetics. It includes everything from site structure to usability and other factors which have a huge impact on its SEO success. As your business evolves and grows, it’s important not to forget about updating and revising your website to keep it aligned with your new goals. As search engines change their algorithms and your audience’s tastes and preferences change, there’s always room for improvement!

How An Online Marketing Agency Can Help

Building an SEO-rich website has many advantages and can lead to long-term exponential growth. When you invest in SEO website design as part of your internet marketing strategy, you build credibility and trust with your audience and increase your bottom line. Smart WSI Marketing is an Edmonton digital marketing agency that helps businesses achieve long-term success with website designs that are as SEO-equipped as they need to be. Contact us today to learn more.

Lynne Motkoski, Marketing Strategist

Specialty: Online Marketing Strategies
Education: MA Communications & Technology, BComm [U Alberta]
Author: The Online Marketing Handbook for Busy Entrepreneurs (coming soon)

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Lynne is known for her strategic approach to marketing communications, technologies, and lead generation. She has a passion for education, keeping up with current marketing trends and practices, and helping clients keep ahead of their competition.

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