How to Strike the Balance Between Good SEO and Good Website Design
July 28th 2020 | By Steve Grant
Website design companies UK wide will be keen to tell you the importance of incorporating all the latest design trends when developing a new website. By the same token, agencies providing SEO services will always emphasise how essential it is to factor search engine visibility strategies into the web design process. Both will have valid points. But when it comes down to it, it’s all about striking a balance between the two. Precisely what we’re looking at in this post.
There are many aspects of life where it’s vital to be able to strike a balance. Web design and SEO included.
There are many aspects of life where it’s vital to be able to strike a balance. To be healthy, successful and happy, everything has to be on an even keel. The same can be said about the importance of balance in digital marketing.
Take web design and search engine optimisation for example. Both crucial aspects of any strategy designed to boost the online visibility of your business. But they have to work in tandem. In other words, there has to be a balance between good website design and good SEO. Because if one takes precedence over the other, the results just aren’t going to cut it.
Plus there’s the ‘waste of time’ factor. What’s the point in investing in an amazing looking website that’s not geared towards getting you the best possible search rankings? Or in an SEO campaign that doesn’t work because your website isn’t ticking all the right boxes to impress the likes of Google? With all this in mind then, let’s take a look at how to strike the right balance between web design and SEO.
Minimalist design –vs- the need for SEO content
We’ve explored in the past the importance of nurturing the relationship between SEO and website user experience. More recently, we’ve been looking closely at the upcoming addition to Google’s set of ranking signals, the page experience signal and how it is likely to affect SEO services.
Any good web designer will know that what Google describes as ‘Core Web Vitals’ – page loading speed, page interactivity and the visual stability of the content on a web page – are all crucial elements that create a positive user experience. This is good, because the page experience signal means it’s equally important for SEO. Great, all working hand in hand so far. But web designers don’t necessarily stop at Core Web Vitals when thinking about user experience.
To many website design companies UK wide, user experience also means keeping a website uncluttered. The minimalist look with plenty of empty white space, impactful visual elements and a clawed back navigation is a trend much favoured by many web developers, and to give it its due, it does work well in terms of greeting the visitor with a smooth journey, especially when that journey is mobile based. But this is where the conflict begins, with SEO experts vying for more content so that the site has a better chance of being ranked by Google and the other search engines.
The minimalist look with plenty of empty white space, impactful visual elements and a clawed back navigation is a trend much favoured by many web developers.
But balance is possible. There are ways and means to achieve everything you want: fantastic visual impact, a positive, clear-cut user experience and the potential for search engine success. How? The secret lies in collaboration. Good old teamwork.
What is the secret to achieving the perfect balance between web design and SEO?
The ideal strategy is to use a web design agency that incorporates its own expert SEO team. People who work together every day, who understand each other’s needs and objectives. People who share the common goal of achieving the client’s business goals.
SEO teams and website design companies UK wide will for example know precisely how to incorporate sufficient content within a website, without compromising on visual appeal and user experience. They’ll know how to incorporate clever content hierarchies to organise web pages through categories and subcategories, especially important for ecommerce websites. They’ll be aware of the merits of cross-linking between web pages, keeping main pages clutter free but providing signposts to additional useful information such as blogs, articles and FAQs. The very things that support great SEO strategies.
The ideal strategy is to use a web design agency that incorporates its own expert SEO team.
One team, multiple experts, all working together
Cohesion is vital. If a website and its content are to deliver on business goals; if they’re going to provide the ultimate user experience, and claim those search engine top spots so online visibility is given a boost, everything has to be seamless. That’s why bringing it all together under one roof works so well.
At Figment, we are widely known for our expertise in delivering SEO services London wide. We are equally respected as a web development agency London businesses trust to help them enhance their brand identity and reach their long term business goals.
If you are looking for a London web design agency that can take your business to the next level, providing all the services you need to get you there, SEO included, talk to Figment. Our creative expertise, combined with our in-depth knowledge of proven SEO strategies, is ready and waiting to support you in achieving your vision and goals.