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We all know that the higher we rank in search rcs database package engine results, the more traffic we will have on our website and, therefore, the greater the chances of converting those visitors into customers. That is why a lot of our efforts are dedicated to content creation, backlink building and SEO .
However, many marketers can focus so much on ranking and getting clicks that they lose sight of user experience (UX) , when in fact it can help with that goal as well.
Can UX impact SEO?
Google always tries to provide its users with the best results for each of their searches. Considering this fact, it is easy to guess that better UX will affect the ranking of websites in search engines .
Even if a specific UX element isn’t currently measured or applied to rankings, chances are a way to measure and rank it is being sought. Therefore, all UX improvements are guaranteed to have a current or future impact on SEO .
When search engines first emerged, the main focus was on keywords and how often they were used. However, this led to several problems, such as overusing keywords to achieve a good ranking, even if it compromised user experience.
In more recent years, search platforms have become more UX-savvy and are constantly updating their algorithms to promote better websites . For example, today websites that perform better on mobile devices and have faster loading times rank higher.
Boost SEO with good UX design
On the other hand, with the rise of ecommerce , UX design has become more important both in terms of SEO , and to ensure that there is less friction when making sales online.
Boosting SEO with good UX Design
How to improve the UX design of your website ? Here are some ideas:
1. Improve loading speed
For every user, it is annoying to open a website that takes a long time to load. And Google is no exception. Minimizing the time it takes for a website to load is a powerful way to improve the user experience and, at the same time, increase its attractiveness to search engines.
Some statistics show that 40% of people are willing to abandon a website that takes more than 3 seconds to load. The fact that search engines use loading speeds as an indicator of a website’s quality is probably a direct reflection of this statistic.
There are many ways to reduce loading time. Some simple strategies include:
Reduce file size
Reduce the number of elements on the page
Reduce server response time
Hosting videos on an external platform (YouTube, Vimeo)
ux designer creating web page mockup
2. Make your intentions clear
People's attention spans are getting shorter . According to a study by Microsoft, the average in 2000 was just 8 seconds and it is probably even shorter today.
That's why businesses need to make sure that when someone opens a page on their website, they can quickly and easily find out what it's about . This is also a good way to show search engines what's included on the site, and therefore help them match search queries with the information provided.
Also keep in mind that using clear headings (H1, H2, H3) will help search engines and visitors understand the layout of your content and which parts are most important. Also, remember to use the most appropriate keywords in the most relevant places.
Don't forget to include images that add context and help explain the content better . Also remember to add clear and concise alt descriptions to those images so that search engines consider them valuable.
>> Learn about the success story: Implementation of an educational ecommerce platform
3. Improve your bounce rate
Bounce rate is the percentage of people who visit a website and then leave without visiting any other pages. Since the goal of every website is to drive engagement and ultimately generate revenue, there is little benefit to a prospect visiting just one page of the website. Furthermore, a high bounce rate also indicates that the potential customer has not found what they were looking for and has decided to look elsewhere.
Factors like site speed and proper formatting contribute to reducing bounce rates . However, you might also want to spend some time making sure there are clear calls to action that entice visitors to click through to learn more and ultimately purchase.
4. Improve session duration
Similar to bounce rate, a short session duration tells search engines that the page they suggested did not answer the query asked , leading to lower rankings.
For example, if 99% of your visitors visit your site and immediately close it, this is a downvote , indicating that you did not provide them with the information they were looking for. On the other hand, if each visitor spends an average of five minutes on each page, this is a downvote for the site, indicating that the content is useful and answered their query completely.
This is part of the reason why long-form content, such as videos or blogs over 1,000 words, can be a great way to improve rankings . However, if the content isn’t relevant or well-delivered, the visitor will only read a couple of sentences before leaving the page.
young man on web with good user experience ux
UX for better business
While we've outlined a few ways you can improve UX design in virtual environments as part of a broader SEO strategy, it's important to remember that your ultimate goal isn't just to get more visitors, but to convert visitors into customers .
Therefore, actions dedicated to improving UX and UI design will help reduce the friction your visitors encounter , which will help them buy, send queries or any interaction they have with your brand.