Are you among those who believe internet marketing campaigns begin only after launching a website? In reality, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a critical internet marketing process that starts long before your website becomes accessible online. When you’re working on website design, it’s also essential to consider SEO factors.
Search engines perceive websites differently from how we do. They crawl through the content, including text, images, infographics, audio, or video. There’s a universal truth in internet marketing: “Content is King.” However, many web designers, even experienced ones, often prioritize making the website’s graphics visually appealing to capture a visitor’s attention while neglecting optimization. But it’s equally crucial to grab the attention of search engines. Moreover, designing an SEO-friendly website can significantly help in driving more traffic.
Therefore, web designers and developers must have a basic understanding of search engine optimization. If you’re involved in designing a website, you need to ensure the design is both user-friendly and search engine-friendly. At Wp peoples , you can learn how to make your website design SEO-friendly, helping you create designs that appeal to users and search engines alike.
Tips for Creating a Responsive Website Design
Include SEO Optimized Text
Text has always been and will remain an essential part of any website. Google constantly monitors the content you use on your website. If you use copied text or have spelling and grammatical errors, you risk penalties from Google’s Panda algorithm. Users often need to add significant content even after a website goes live. However, some text is usually added during the design phase. A website cannot be launched with blank pages.
The names and descriptions of the images or videos uploaded to your website should be keyword-based. Page titles should ideally be 50–60 characters long and include relevant keywords. Similarly, meta descriptions should be around 150–160 characters, incorporating focus keywords to ensure search engine optimization. Attention to these details will help your website rank better in search engines and provide a user-friendly experience.
Optimized Images
Using images and infographics is an excellent way to enhance the visual appeal of your website and improve engagement with visitors. Ensure that the text used in infographics includes essential keywords. You may have noticed slideshows on the home pages of many websites. Each slide often contains text added during the theme or template design phase. To make this text SEO-friendly, incorporate relevant keywords.
Naming images as “abc.jpg” or “image1.png” can prevent search engines from effectively indexing them. For example, if you run an online jewelry store, an image of a necklace should be named something like “goldnecklace.jpg.” This improves the image’s visibility when someone searches for a “gold necklace.”
Optimizing images also involves using appropriate HTML attributes and creating captions for them. Additionally, to avoid affecting your site’s overall load time, include only an appropriate number of images. Various graphic design software tools are available to help you achieve this. Properly optimized images enhance user experience and contribute to better SEO performance.
Text-Based Navigation System
Users and search engines depend on a well-structured text-based navigation system to access various website sections. Hence, designing and organizing navigation with SEO in mind is essential.
Opt for a text-based navigation system so search engines can easily crawl and understand it. When using drop-down menus, ensure you use SEO-friendly technologies.
SEO-conscious web designers often recommend creating menus with CSS. Experts advise against using JavaScript or Flash-based menu systems, as these are less accessible to search engines. Also, deep linking structures beyond three levels should be avoided, which may negatively impact optimization.
Incorporate relevant keywords into your URLs to further enhance SEO. By employing text-based, SEO-friendly website designs, you can effectively increase traffic to your site while ensuring a seamless user experience.