Today we’ll be talking about what might be missing with your SEO web design strategy. If you are not getting the results you were expecting it is time to research the problem. If you are a new business online you may not be aware of the tools you can use for online success.
The internet does have some great tools which can help you achieve your goal. Every new entrepreneur has their own strategy to deliver results. This strategy can come from online tips, using SEO companies hired for the job, or simply researching how the Google algorithm works.
How important is search engine optimization?
Search engine optimization is totally necessary to grow digital performance and to build a successful web design strategy. If you have time in your busy schedule to learn how SEO works you can start with the basics and look forward to many great benefits. But for those of us who have no time to devote to SEO techniques, the road ahead will depend on other solutions. SEO techniques are continually evolving and those that suggest they know the way to the top of Google are not being honest.
Google does not give up its secrets. Many have tried and many have failed at an attempt to manipulate the Google algorithm. All we can do is stay current with the ever-changing methods being used by Google and other top search engines within the SEO environment.
Below is a list of items to help us stay current and to rank highly in the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages). We’ll discuss these items today.
- The website must be mobile-friendly and responsive
- Build good website infrastructure for best SEO results
- All content must be fully optimized for SEO
- Build valuable link strategies with other websites
- Avoid SEO companies promising huge results
Websites must be responsive and user-friendly:
Several years ago, Google started using a mobile-first indexing policy. Since this has happened, SEO optimization is now crucial for those wanting to experience any success at all online. Every day we receive new inquires from website owners unhappy with their current websites.
Their main complaint is that their website is not optimized for mobile traffic. This is normally because the designer of their site did not use a responsive, mobile-first strategy to develop the website. Google has reported that over 70% percent of all searches are done on a mobile device. This means that any website that is not mobile-friendly will not respond correctly on mobile devices. Consequently, over half of the potential online business will be lost.
At Inside Design Orlando, we specialize in “mobile-first” design. We use this method for all new sites. We optimize each and every site to function well on all mobile devices. Those sites not using this web design strategy will not attract mobile traffic and will lose a large share of the business. Contact our design team to discuss your next website project. Get optimized for mobile business and get noticed.
How to build a great website architecture:
Google and all top search engines love a website that is clearly defined based upon the pages and content throughout the site. Understanding how Google crawls websites is important for great SEO results. Google software crawls (scans) the website pages to index the site and to rank you based upon your product or service.
Crawling the site will determine your online placement helping your visitors to navigate your site easily. Additionally, you might consider adding a site map to the website architecture. This will assist the search engine bots to know exactly how many pages are available to be scanned.
Building a site full of relevant links:
Link building will give your site a huge benefit over time. Add new links based upon how they relate to your own specific industry. Never add a link to the site just to increase the number of links. Adding links with no value will bring down the value of your site rather than increasing the value. Link building should be done thoughtfully and carefully, adding only the most relevant link partners. This technique will increase the value of your website and drive targeted traffic to your site as well.
Avoid working with “link farms, and stay away from link directories. These black hat strategies will work against your web design strategy for SEO success. As you research to come up with valuable linking partners, be sure to contact the link partner and ask to “exchange links.” This is referred to as having a reciprocal link and has more value than just adding the link to your own site. When you are listed on other sites of interest you will gain in value. As you build your linking strategy your site will soon be known as an “authority website.”
Website content must be SEO optimized:
Web design strategy must include having the content optimized and ready for visitors. If the content is outdated or boring it is surely not going to keep a visitor on your site long enough for site conversion to take place. Site conversion occurs when the visitor takes an additional step. He or she will either complete a contact form to buy a product or call for more information. Without this conversion, the visitor is just browsing the site.
Site content must be SEO friendly and there should also be interactive elements included keeping the visitor engaged. If the site content is flawed and has not been optimized your SEO efforts will fail. Included within the content should be easily read phrases featuring good keyword density. For a great web design strategy, content is and has always been the key to higher placement.
Blog importance:
Most successful websites include a blog section. This is an archive featuring trending articles about your unique industry. The best option is to hire a content writer with lots of professionalism and experience blogging for another company site. Guest bloggers are also beneficial to leave a new perspective now and then. Blog articles must be organic in nature and there should be no “duplicate content” throughout the site. Getting the content from your blog posts on other relevant websites can be a great advantage. Work with others to build your brand by exchanging links and building online relationships.
Conclusion to web design strategy for SEO: The missing link
Find out what may be missing with your web design strategy and close the gap to future success. There are good SEO sites out there but be very careful. Along with the good comes the bad. There are also many scam sites making huge claims to reel you in and charge you money when it may all be a scam. We suggest you go straight to Google and look for advertising solutions if you just have to spend large sums of money on SEO.
Adding great content to your site is still the key to online success. Content writers are like “gold” in our industry. Check out their credentials and find out who they have blogged for in the past. They earn their bucks by providing good, organic articles. The missing link to your future online success might just be a lack of consistent blogging articles.
There is no secret that Google values above all else (organic content). Stick to writing your own content. Do not copy content from other sites and stay away from black hat techniques that could get you banned online. We caution you to avoid any outside source promising top results in a short period of time. This is a false premise. You must take the time to build your SEO strategy. We are always available for guidance, but there are no magic bullets. Hard work and persistence will win the day!
Have a great spring ahead and hurry back for more next time.
Jean Holland-Rose
Chief Creative Officer & SEO Professional
