Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) involves many different areas. From Technical, to On-page elements there's also Link Building and Social aspects to name a few. But from a users perspective many SEOs forget to take into account web usability and basics of web design, that play a very large role also.
With all successful SEO campaigns an effort must be made into not only the building but also it's foundations. This is where web design and architecture plays an important role. SEO in the past was predominately focussed on keywords, but in today's ever changing industry user experience has never played a larger role. Content must be created for human eyes first and search engine crawlers second.
So what are the basic areas of web usability that every SEO must know?
Create A Page For Each Product/Keyword: Each and every web-page must be created to help display and promote each product or service being offered. This will not only help create a simplified web experience for users but also allow targeted keywords, titles, meta descriptions and content.
Create Error Pages: Whenever links are broken or pages no longer exist it's common for users to land on a 404 error page, whether from internal or external links. When this occurs it's vital to help retain users and this can be achieved by creating simple but highly effective landing pages. By creating a 404 error page working links can be included or even a re-direct can be carried out. This can help re-assure the user that the website is still working and will not simply press return, resulting in an increased bounce rate, and enabling the user to visit the next most relevant web page.
Provide A Site Map: Site maps are under rated and offer the chance for viewers to help view the site in full. But there is also an added SEO benefit of including an XML sitemap within the website and also making Google aware by submitting this via the Google Webmaster Tools to help resolve any crawling errors. This will ensure the website has been picked up by the search engine and can help promote any updated content if there are any issues with the website being crawled.
Search Box: First and foremost, the search box is almost always a required component of any website. Allowing instant access to find the content each user seeks. The most common location is top right of a website and can appear in many different forms.
Reduce Web Page Load Speed: During 2011, Google made page speed a ranking signal. Therefore from a search engine perspective it is important. But also from a users point of view that web pages load fast. If there's any unnecessary waiting time then users will most likely go elsewhere, therefore increasing abandonment rates and may be the cause of high bounce rates.
In order to reduce web page load times images and graphics may be required to be removed or replaced with other content. But the problem is not only isolated with images.
Breadcrumb Navigation: By implementing breadcrumb navigation can have both usability and SEO benefits. In most web sites it is placed just above the on-page content below the header and allows the user to follow the path and identifying their current location. A clear and concise URL structure and website layout is essential for consistency and to increase it's effectiveness.
These are only a few of the many different aspects of web usability. Most of which can come down to common sense. For example using the companies logo as a link to always return home is commonly missing, but yet would be expected by many users. SEO web design is more important than ever before, and should never be an after thought and always included into every SEO campaign and with a few simple steps and increasing usability for users can greatly increase not only the user experience but also conversion rates.
With all successful SEO campaigns an effort must be made into not only the building but also it's foundations. This is where web design and architecture plays an important role. SEO in the past was predominately focussed on keywords, but in today's ever changing industry user experience has never played a larger role. Content must be created for human eyes first and search engine crawlers second.
So what are the basic areas of web usability that every SEO must know?
Create A Page For Each Product/Keyword: Each and every web-page must be created to help display and promote each product or service being offered. This will not only help create a simplified web experience for users but also allow targeted keywords, titles, meta descriptions and content.
Create Error Pages: Whenever links are broken or pages no longer exist it's common for users to land on a 404 error page, whether from internal or external links. When this occurs it's vital to help retain users and this can be achieved by creating simple but highly effective landing pages. By creating a 404 error page working links can be included or even a re-direct can be carried out. This can help re-assure the user that the website is still working and will not simply press return, resulting in an increased bounce rate, and enabling the user to visit the next most relevant web page.
Provide A Site Map: Site maps are under rated and offer the chance for viewers to help view the site in full. But there is also an added SEO benefit of including an XML sitemap within the website and also making Google aware by submitting this via the Google Webmaster Tools to help resolve any crawling errors. This will ensure the website has been picked up by the search engine and can help promote any updated content if there are any issues with the website being crawled.
Search Box: First and foremost, the search box is almost always a required component of any website. Allowing instant access to find the content each user seeks. The most common location is top right of a website and can appear in many different forms.
Reduce Web Page Load Speed: During 2011, Google made page speed a ranking signal. Therefore from a search engine perspective it is important. But also from a users point of view that web pages load fast. If there's any unnecessary waiting time then users will most likely go elsewhere, therefore increasing abandonment rates and may be the cause of high bounce rates.
In order to reduce web page load times images and graphics may be required to be removed or replaced with other content. But the problem is not only isolated with images.
Breadcrumb Navigation: By implementing breadcrumb navigation can have both usability and SEO benefits. In most web sites it is placed just above the on-page content below the header and allows the user to follow the path and identifying their current location. A clear and concise URL structure and website layout is essential for consistency and to increase it's effectiveness.
These are only a few of the many different aspects of web usability. Most of which can come down to common sense. For example using the companies logo as a link to always return home is commonly missing, but yet would be expected by many users. SEO web design is more important than ever before, and should never be an after thought and always included into every SEO campaign and with a few simple steps and increasing usability for users can greatly increase not only the user experience but also conversion rates.
Harvey McEwan writes to offer information and advice on a variety of areas, from technology to holiday destinations. Read through Harvey's other articles here to find out more.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Harvey_McEwan
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