SEO Best Practise - Part 7

How website’s user experience impacting SEO?

Have you ever thought about what your web users really think of your site?

It’s about time you did.

It’s no secret that website users can be hard to please and while you can’t satisfy everyone, you need to ensure you make the experience as smooth and streamlined as possible.

While poor SEO is often blamed for the lack of keywords and backlinks in content, it goes far beyond that. Behaviour metrics is another key element that is often forgotten but should be at the top of your agenda.

So, how are UX and SEO linked anyway?

Quite simply if you wish to crack search engine result rankings, you must hit the various criteria for a positive user experience.

Google ranks web pages on a variety of metrics including time spend on the page, bounce rate, and engagement to determine how it should be ranked.

So, what are UX best practices?

First and foremost, you need to put yourself in your users’ shoes. What are they looking for? What’s going to make the experience easier for them?

There is no single answer to these questions.

Boosting user experience is made up of a variety of factors that need to be implemented into your campaign to satisfy your users and stay high on SERPS.

Page speed

If your website is taking more than 2 seconds to load, you have a problem on your hands. A slow website is going to infuriate your users and could encourage them to back-click instantly, which is a no-no in the eyes of Google.

There are several ways you can improve your website’s page speed, as follows:

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Architecture

Your site’s architecture refers to its general structure. Good architecture is crucial for Google to locate your site and examine it. What’s more, it also helps users move their way around the site easily. If users struggle to find what they need in a matter of seconds, you’re toast.

A navigation menu is the answer.

As a basic rule, you’ll need to think about the click depth. How many clicks does it take for the user to find what they’re looking for? You need to aim for a maximum of 4 clicks away from the homepage to land on the end result.

Cut to the chase by using categories and subtopics.

Layout and design

The key to a successful sales funnel is ensuring that users know where to go on your website to take action.

A clunky and confusing layout could prevent users from finding the information they require and give up before making a purchase.

A website is your brand’s online persona – it’s the very first perception that users make of you, so make it a good one. You need to focus on making your brand relatable and one that you want customers to invest in.

It’s also worth sharing photos of your staff and their roles in the business, as well as sharing customer reviews to prove you’re a genuine company.

Nail all of these factors and Google will be your biggest fan.

Final note

Is user experience giving you a headache? We’re here to help. Get in touch with our friendly team today to find out how we can boost your website’s UX.