The average website isn’t well-optimized for the digital space they exist in. This isn’t the person running that site’s fault either; the way search engines rank websites isn’t always intuitive or easy.
The trick is to engage in what is called Search Engine Optimization (SEO). The good news is that SEO website design isn’t too difficult to understand once it’s laid out in clear, direct language.
SEO and Search Algorithms
As the name implies, SEO design is about optimizing something (most often a website or individual webpage) to better appeal to search engines.
To understand how this works, one first needs to understand the underlying algorithms of how these engines work. While the specifics can be complex and are often hidden from the public, the broad strokes of these systems are fairly simple.
When you type something into any search engine (such as Google or Bing), the engine is programmed to try and show you the best results. To do this, it tries to interpret your search and then figure out what pages are most likely what you’d want.
This is done through what are called search algorithms and, when discussing SEO, it is Google’s algorithms that matter most. This is because most Internet users everywhere but in China (who tend towards Baidu) use that search engine.
Google tries to rank websites for a given search based on five metrics:
- The meaning of a given search
- How relevant a webpage is to that search
- The quality of a webpage’s content
- The usability of that website
- Any additional context or applicable user settings
The system isn’t perfect, and not all parts are transparent, but it is still possible to build content so a website better appeals to these algorithms.
Understanding Keywords
With the above in mind, you may wonder why so many companies who want to engage in SEO practices will hire an SEO website design company. As with many things, the answer is in the details.
While it is possible to write strong SEO-friendly content on one’s own, it is difficult. One of the big reasons for this is that knowing how to target what are called “keywords” can be tough to do without the right expertise.
Keywords (often called “Google keywords” or “SEO keywords”) are words or phrases put into content to let Google know that content is relevant to certain search terms.
For example, a car mechanic’s content may rank for the keywords “car repair” or “mechanic in West Orange” if they can prove their content is relevant enough.
This can be a challenge for a few reasons. First, the best tools to identify good keywords cost money. Not every company can justify that cost unless they use it fairly often.
Second, targeting keywords requires you to know which are popular enough to be worth the effort but not so competitive that ranking for them will be very difficult.
If you want to make your own SEO content without expert help, it can often be a good idea to target locational keywords. “Mechanic in West Orange” is far easier to rank for than “mechanic.”
Your Content and Site Design Still Matter
When many people learn the above, they make the mistake of laser focusing on the keywords aspect of SEO. However, it takes more than making sure you use the right keywords in your content to rank well on Google.
First, website design and SEO go hand-in-hand. A bad website design that is distorted on mobile or had long load times will be rated poorly by Google’s algorithms.
Second, Google tries to detect spammy or inaccurate content. While it is by no means a perfect system, producing content stuffed with irrelevant keywords can tank your website ranking.
The ideal is having a website that works smoothly, visitors like exploring, and content that’s both helpful and hits the right keywords. This takes time and expertise not everyone has.
What complicates matters further is not every business wants to take the time and resources to have someone produce good SEO content for them full-time. This is where companies who specialize in SEO content can help.
Getting the Hard Work Done for You
While we’ve covered the basics here, take a look at what experts can do for you over on seodesignchigago.com. One of the things you’ll notice is that producing SEO-friendly content can be quite intricate if it’s done right.
The good news is that professional service, like that offered on that same site, means you don’t have to suddenly master that complexity yourself.
By paying for SEO website design services, you can make use of expertise as you need it. Moreover, done right, these kinds of services will more than pay for themselves in increased traffic and your ability to attract more prospects.
Even if you’re hesitant to use these services regularly, they can be a great way to jumpstart a website and get your basic groundwork covered. After all, hiring help doesn’t mean you have to commit forever.
SEO Website Design Matters
If you’re a business that wants to market itself in our increasingly online world, SEO website design isn’t really optional. Whether you do it yourself or hire a service, it’s a must if you want your website to rank well.
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