User experience + SEO = Success

If you want the best SEO results you have to include user experience (UX) in your techniques. This has made the process a bit more complicated than how it used to be some years ago. Back then you just had to focus on relevant keywords and link building and you would stand a very good chance of being ranked at the top of the search results. However, since search engines changed their tactics with algorithm updates. You now have to include other several ranking factors including user experience to stand a chance of being among the top on Search Engine Result Pages, also known as SERPs.

Some of the factors you now have to consider when creating your website include its usability which translated to how easy it is to navigate, the type of content (quality content), whether it is engaging enough (dwell time) to keep your customers on the page for long and the security of the website. The website also needs to have a fast loading page speed and a mobile-friendly platform. 

When SEO and User Experience are used together, they deliver the best results because of their effectiveness. The former attracts visitors to your website and the latter uses those visitors to give you a higher ranking. You, therefore, end up with the best results for your target audience. Below are some of the ways that can help you deliver high-quality user experience and SEO to drive your website’s performance.

Website structure and navigation

Having a well-structured website structure and navigation is important to your users and their experience on the website.  The website should have good quality landing page content to make it easier for users to navigate and get to the page they want regardless of how they reach the website. Most people will not get to site through the home page but they will use links that lead them to other pages. Avoid putting pop-ups on the pages. Giving too many options or not giving a way for them to get back to a previous page or home page. Too many options will hinder the best user experience because it will make it harder for the user, especially those using mobile phones to read other content on the page.

The best website structure and navigation also makes it possible for your links to appear in search engines. Sitelinks are some of the best ways through which you can get above your competitors. They will help you dominate your industry and create long-lasting effects for your business. Search engines like Google base the decision according to user experience. If your website enhances UX, you'll have a better chance of ranking by increasing the users engagement with the site. 

Headings – be sure to focus on these and have the correct structure flow 

Headings play a crucial role in showing your users what's available on a particular page. Search engine crawlers also use the headings to determine the type of content you have. Separate your content into different headings to show both the engines and the readers what each section entails. This is a key part of the SEO that you do to help search engines get a clear definition of what your page is about and its main focal point.  

You'll be creating a hierarchy of the content and you'll also be making it easier for your readers to find their way around the content in case they get lost. Make sure you use the right structure. For instance, H1 headings should be used at the top of the page and should only be used once (best practice SEO). It will show your reader and search engines what the main subject of the content is. Because of this, adding some keywords on the heading is a good way to optimise for relevant keywords.

The remaining content should have headings in a systematic order, starting with H2 to H6. Make sure the headings are relevant which means that you should not use all of them unless necessary.

Optimise the speed of your website for mobile

Google uses the loading speed of the site as part of the ranking process. Currently one of the main ranking factors is mobile loading page speed, while not forgetting the desktop experience. This means that you should focus on making loading speed on both the desktop and mobile platforms fast to enhance user experience. The mobile aspect is very important because most people use their smartphones to browse the internet. You can use tools such as Pages peed Insights to identify any problems regarding mobile use. The tool will help you come up with ideas that help you improve the performance of your website and reduce the load time speed.

User signals

User signals have become a key component by search engines in their ranking factors. The user signals refer to things like click-through rate (CTR), bounce rates, pages per session and the time spent on the site (dwell time). Although search engines may not admit that they use these as part of what determines the ranking, other studies have shown that they play a big role. If you can keep people on your site for longer, you'll have a higher ranking than someone who gets higher bounce rates. This is because the former shows that your content is more engaging than the latter and that's why people aren't in a hurry to leave the site.

Tip: To improve your search engine CTR make sure you focus on your meta descriptions and page titles. These are the first thing users see when they search. The more relevant to them the greater chance of clicking. So just think what people would be searching for and how you would provide them with a snippet that focusses on delivering a solution for them.

Prioritise your websites mobile experience

Speed is one of the important factors in mobile user experience. There also other factors such as navigation, the structure, and the visual appeal. The mobile-friendly nature of a site has been part of the search engine (Google) ranking factors since 2015 and they are only getting more important as mobile use continues to increase. 

Have a website that allows mobile users to find what they want fast and easily, by using the right font sizes, outlining everything properly using the correct hierarchy and using the right images and texts. Avoid overcrowding the pages with irrelevant information such as your logo and brand name. Although you should include these on the home page, try to make them smaller to leave enough room for more relevant content. Make the design of your website simple yet smart to make it more appealing and useful.

The keys to your user experience SEO success

By following some of the tips above, you'll be able to increase your traffic growth and possibly sales leading to more profits and business growth. They have been proven to work but only if done correctly. These are some of the best ways to use user experience SEO for your benefit. However, you can also hire an SEO and UX specialist such as Honest Fox to help you get these results with minimal effort on your side. 

Honest Fox has the knowledge and experience to make your goals and KPIs come to fruition and we will not disappoint. Our company is one of the best digital marketing in Melbourne that use specialise in both UX and SEO (Inbound Marketing) to give our clients amazing results. We will ensure that you improve your ranking and maintain your top positions for as long as you work with us. We have a highly qualified team who keeps up with the changing search engine trends and best practice UX. This allows us to implement what works.

Want your business to grow traffic the right way? We're here to help, drop us a line!