With the advancement of search engine algorithms and the demand for SEO services and techniques, we are too focused on keeping up and maintaining our website ranking. Website performance and ranking are tell-tales of success. However, the relationship between high-ranking, high-performing websites and user experience is deeply rooted within the visitor’s journey throughout the digital domain. Enter the relationship between SEO and User Experience (UX).
SEO and UX have mutualistic relationships that are beneficial for each. Without further ado, let us explore the interesting relationship between UX and SEO.
What is User Experience (UX)?
UX encompasses various elements and factors in building a positive “user experience” with your website, from navigation to interaction. Research points to the effectiveness of employing well-thought user experience in marketing strategies, which explains the demand for UX services along with the likes of professional SEO solutions. The better the experience, the more likely your targeted visitors will engage, interact, and stay on your website, allowing them to go through the purchasing funnel or be convinced to take action.
One curious aspect of user experience is the functionality of a website. Functionality remains part of the centerpiece of any modern website design to improve user experience. It defines the overall “function” of the website and how it provides the necessary information the user needs and ensures that they get from A to B seamlessly.
THE FIVE KEY ELEMENTS OF USER EXPERIENCE:
- Usability: The website is easy to navigate, with clear instructions and an intuitive design that allows users to accomplish tasks efficiently.
- Accessibility: The site is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities.
- Aesthetics: The design is visually appealing and aligns with the brand to create a positive emotional response from users.
- Content Quality: The content is relevant, informative, and engaging, meeting users' needs and expectations.
- Performance: The website must operate smoothly with quick load times and minimal downtime.
Accessibility, navigation, and design also remain critical factors to help users move through, access and see content properly. These components can mold your website to fulfill and satisfy the needs of your target visitor.
The Relationship of User Experience & SEO
As said earlier, user experience and SEO complement each other well. SEO is concerned with optimizing a website for quality content and techniques to be visible on the search engine results page. SEO services and professional agencies tailor solutions to make and assess the quality of each web page on a website, making them easy to find by its intended target users through search engines to increase conversion rate. All these optimization approaches send a positive signal that creates an ideal user experience and a lasting value perceived by search engines and the website’s visitors.
ALSO READ: Can SEO Really Help Your Business?
On the other hand, UX follows the principle of designing a website that directly affects and influences user experience and impression towards a website or product. Their journey throughout the website, how they navigate each web page, the accessibility of information, and the overall website’s design for enhancing computer-user interaction. A positive UX creates a satisfying experience, but a poorly thought UX design leaves frustration, which can be detrimental to your SEO ranking as well.
While both have different processes, they help work toward achieving a unified objective of providing a satisfying experience and promoting engagement and experience to users. Neither UX nor SEO can be removed and omitted from the process for businesses seeking to fulfill these objectives to compensate and complete the 50% left from a standalone technique. Thus, SEO and UX bond together by the mutual overlapping metric. For example, a positive UX can lead to higher conversions, decreased bounce rate, and increased user time spent on the website, which affects SEO. The same can be said the other way around.
5 Core Elements of User Experience That Affects Your SEO Strategy
To delve deeper into how UX can impact your SEO strategy, here are some things you need to know:
Page Loading Speed
The loading speed of a web page is a crucial deciding factor that affects user experience and SEO ranking. Search engines like Google prioritize loading speed, which decides a website’s ranking, with site visitors tending to navigate away from slow web pages. So if you are looking for a way to properly optimize your website and satisfy user experience, consider optimizing your website with the help of a reputable SEO agency.
ALSO READ: SEO Strategy 101 – Should You Go for Faster Loading Speed or Rich Media?
Site Navigation
When users can find information right off the bat and know how to navigate between pages, they are more likely to stay on your page longer, exploring more pages until they are converted to customers. However, a confusing layout can do the opposite—no one wants to stay, causing you to leave your website prematurely. Search engines use these signals to assess the quality of your website. Ensuring your website is well-structured is the best way to improve your site navigation.
HERE ARE FIVE WAYS TO IMPROVE WEBSITE STRUCTURE FOR USER EXPERIENCE AND SEO:
-
Simplify Navigation
Use clear, intuitive menus to help users find information quickly. -
Use Descriptive URLs
Create concise, keyword-rich URLs that reflect the page content. -
Implement Breadcrumbs
Add breadcrumb navigation to enhance user experience and SEO. -
Optimize Internal Links
Ensure relevant pages are interlinked to guide users. -
Create a Sitemap
Submit an XML sitemap to search engines.
Content Quality
High-quality and relevant content is a cornerstone and foundation of an ideal website. Content that answers users’ questions, and creates adequate information to engage readers, provides returning value to your website. Producing quality, relevant, and up-to-date content helps meet user experience and leads to higher search engine ranking.
Mobile Friendliness
With the increasing number of mobile users and seeing their significance, many businesses are jumping on the bandwagon of mobile optimization, opting for mobile SEO services. Mobile-friendliness is one of the strongest pillars of creating a positive user experience, creating a responsive and functional website that is navigable on different mobile display sizes. However, a website that does run poorly on mobile devices will struggle to achieve rankings and retain visitors, significantly affecting the site’s ranking no matter how it performs on desktops.
User Engagement
Bounce rate and dwell time are primary metrics for determining user engagement, providing insights into how users engage with your website and its content. For example, a high bounce rate may indicate that the site visitors are not finding your website useful, negatively affecting your website and indicating a poor user experience. On the other hand, a high dwell time and low bounce rate signal your site is valuable to users, which boosts your SEO performance in return.
Conclusion
UX is not a secondary option when leveraging your SEO strategy. By focusing on UX elements, you can amplify your website search rankings while providing a positive user experience that will keep visitors coming back and lead them to the conversion funnel.
For the best results, consider partnering with a trusted SEO agency in the Philippines to ensure your website is optimized at all times for users and search engines. Contact us today or call (02) 8283 3168 to get started.