Awesome! You’ve decided to design your own website. This article is dedicated to teaching you the best web design practices for SEO in 2018.
If you’re a website designer you should keep this in mind: If Google offers a tool to help you then you should use it. Below are some of the best Google-made tools to help you design your website to SEO perfection.
Unfortunately, just creating amazing content will not get you to the top of Google’s “nice list.” Now, it requires more technical knowledge, but don’t sweat it. You can be more than competitive with the tips below.
Disclaimer: This post will have some technical jargon on web design SEO practices, but never fear. Explanations.
Here are 5 SEO friendly web design guidelines for 2018.
Site Speed
Site speed is the first thing you need to keep in mind when developing your site for SEO – Search Engine Optimization. A quick-loading site and a logical format will make it easy to navigate for your user’s and allow Google to understand it better. Knowing that your users are not getting bogged down by long loading time is a must.
I’m extremely impatient and I know I’ve left sites for this same problem. Use PageSpeed Insights from Google to make sure your page loads fast on all devices.
Google has gone on record to say site speed will affect your ranking. They don’t specify how, but according to MunchWeb, if you’re site doesn’t load within 4 seconds, 75% of visitors will not revisit your site. Google doesn’t lower your rank for being “not as fast” as your competitors, but Google does de-rank you if you’re slow.
Keyword Usage and Title Tags
Everyone knows this one, but it has to be said. If you have an online “pet shop” and you don’t have the words pet shop on your site or in some of your content title tags, you won’t rank anywhere near the top of search results for “pet shop.” That’s pretty simple, right?
The way to think about this is Google needs triggers to “see” your website. Google looks at the keywords and where they are to determine what you’re website is all about. It’s not exactly concerned with how many times you use the words (3-5 per article or page is good), but how meaningful and thorough your content is.
Creating value above all else for your reader will create repeat traffic and a loyal following.
Using the right keywords and phrases is extremely important. Here are two tools I like to use to make sure I’m on the right track. SEMrush.com and the Google Keyword Planner. Both are amazing in their free versions and worth every penny if you get the premium version of SEMrush.
SEO-Friendly URL
Shorter URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) outperform larger URLs because they enhance the user experience and Google’s ability to understand what your website is all about.
If you don’t have a clear idea what the website is about, it can severely hinder your chances of clicking on it. Think about when you search something new. Doesn’t seeing a odd url make you weary?
One of my favorite tools is Pretty Links, because it works with WordPress as a plugin and it’s free.
Is your site “Indexible” or “Visible” to Google?
The easiest way to understand how Google “thinks” is to use the tools Google gives you to rank higher. The best tool every website developer should use in 2018 is {drumroll}…
The best part of this tool is it’s FREE! Do not hesitate to use this, it comes from the horse’s mouth and there’s nothing better than that.
Here’s a little more on indexing your site…
It’s important to realize that indexing is a very complex subject. Here are a few tips for the more tech-savvy web developer.
- Google looks at your site through the code.
- If you’re formatting is not logical, Google won’t know where to go and de-rank you immediately.
The Google Search Console will tell you what’s not working. Apply generously.
Summary
Let’s Review!
To give your website a boost in traffic, besides creating amazing content, you can:
- Speed up your website using PageSpeed Insights.
- Make sure you’re using the best keyword and phrases for your site using Google Keyword Planner and SEMrush.
- Use PrettyLinks to shorten your URLs.
- Find out what’s not working on your site with Google Search Console.
Use these tips to get started, and if you’d like more information like this don’t forget to subscribe to our email list for more!
