Where Do SEO & Web Design Clash?

SEO and Web Design Tips in San Diego, CA

Even if you have a perfectly planned SEO strategy that includes the right keywords and smart link building tactics, it’s not going to be effective if the target website doesn’t provide a good user experience. As technology evolves, there may be several new instances where SEO and web design collide. San Diego professional web developers discuss certain areas where web design and SEO tend to clash.

Parallax Design

Parallax scrolling refers to a technique where the illusion of depth is created by changing the speed of background images. Many websites with parallax designs are single page sites, which can make them difficult to optimize. However, websites with a parallax design often encourage visitors to stay longer, which is a good thing for SEO since it could contribute to a reduction in bounce rates.

Responsive Web Design

Google recommends website designers to embrace a responsive design that allows content to be viewed as intended no matter what type of screen it’s being viewed on. In terms of SEO, it creates a good user experience regardless of a user’s preferred device, which can contribute to more engagement and an increase in conversions.

HTML5 Oversights

HTML5 is the current version of Hypertext Markup Language, a code used to describe webpages. While web designers can do many wonderful things with HTML5, it can be a source of headaches for SEO teams if the pages aren’t coded properly. When HTML5 isn’t done right, Google’s crawlers will see an empty page, which means it won’t be ranked. The solution is to create a static version of webpage content for search crawlers. However, many web designers aren’t yet in the habit of doing this.

Searcher Expectations

The theory of cognitive dissonance states that people tend to feel in control as long as their expectations meet their realities, a concept that applies to both SEO and web design. For instance, if keywords that direct searchers to a website don’t lead to them to the expected content suggested by those keywords, they aren’t likely to stick around. The same thing applies to the meta descriptions that show up on search engine results pages above the links back to websites. Whatever is done for SEO purposes must be in line with what’s actually on various webpages.

Google’s Random Surfer Theory

Google’s original PageRank algorithm is based on what’s known as the Random Surfer model. The theory refers to following known paths only to find out they no longer lead where the user expects those paths to go. In other words, if a website’s main navigation is changed or prominent links are moved to less noticeable locations on a site, the site’s ranking will be affected.

There are several other innovations, trends, and concepts involving web design that can have an impact on SEO efforts. These connections also stress the importance of drawing from both web design experience and SEO know-how when planning an online engagement strategy. Ultimately, both website designers and SEO specialists should focus on what’s best for the intended end user.

Whether you need a responsive web design or SEO optimization in San Diego or any other city in the world, the team at Saba SEO can help. We use a variety of white hat tactics to boost your online visibility and increase conversions. Our web development experts can help you design responsive and mobile-friendly webpages without affecting your overall online ranking. To learn about our customized digital marketing plans, give us a call at 858-951-1717 today.