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4 Tips To Ensure Your Website Design & SEO Is Done Right

June 16, 2018 • Featured, SEO 101 • 72
Getting a website that works well, shows up in search results and brings traffic is about balancing a number of elements.

The two most important are website design and search engine optimisation or SEO. Often you might work with web design companies who don’t know much about SEO or SEO experts who aren’t web designers. This can work but the key is to know what are the most important tips to ensure that both work together. Here are four important examples.

Understand usability factors

Search engines exist to show the best and most relevant results to users for the search they have conducted. This makes for happy users that return to the platform for future searches. It also makes for advertising revenue for advertisers on their platform which makes money for the search engine companies.

This means that if you offer good user experience when a user visits your site, this helps boost the search engine’s credibility with that user. So Google and co will reward websites that offer that good user experience. Hence it is one of the four important tips to website design and SEO – getting your user to stay on your website, making it easy for them to get around the site and share what they find. These are all key to user experience or UX.

Ensure content discoverability

The next point considers how search engines find content on a site. While clever, they essentially need links to lead them to it. This means if your content isn’t properly linked, then this harms its discoverability by those search engine bots. And this could mean your site doesn’t rank at all.

From a design viewpoint, this means creating a site architecture that is easy for users to understand, making it obvious how to get from one piece of content to another and encouraging them to do this. Top-level services or product categories are the most important with subcategories and product or services pages beneath them.

Have high-quality content

Once you have a good structure on your website and search engines can get around it, the next step is to make sure you offer high quality content that will have a better chance at ranking. This means planning the content beforehand and ensuring it is SEO-steady as well as well written and full of information that your audience wants.

Questions to consider asking about each piece of content include:
- What purpose does this content serve?
- What would users want to know about this topic?
- Does it convey the company’s message?
These questions can be a guide to ensure all quality added to the website is high quality, relevant and useful to the user to therefore rank well with search engines.

Watch SEO during a redesign

If you already have a website and are in the course of redesigning it, then it is a crucial time to watch SEO practices. It is easy to concentrate on the design elements of the redesign without watching the SEO aspects that can quickly have a negative impact on the site’ ranking.

Crawl your site before starting the redesign including looking at pages and other current rankings. Are there are any outdated or redundant pages? Do they need to be redirected? What are the high ranking keywords on the site?

Consider all of this to ensure the site continues to have a good, solid SEO profile and will continue to rank solidly after the redesign process has been completed. If you are changing the URL structure, have a redirect map in place before the new site goes live.
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How Good Web Design And Web Development Practices Impact SEO In 2018

April 26, 2018 • Content Marketing, Digital Marketing, Mobile, SEO Advanced Practices, SEO for Your Agency, Social Media • 510

Google’s algorithms are dynamic. So if you want to improve your web presence or maintain your visibility and ranking on search engine result pages (SERPs), your SEO strategies must be fine-tuned to match Google’s latest SEO update.

In fact, you’ll have to look beyond keywords, meta tags, title tags, alt tags, headings etc., as well as other ‘regulars’ several SEO plugins are throwing around.

So where exactly should you start?

Start right from the scratch with web design and web development. Sounds strange? I don’t think so. It is easy to assume that both terms have the same meaning and are used interchangeably. They are absolutely different and here’s why!

What is Web Design?

Web design is about the aesthetic aspects of your website as well as its usability. So web designers often use different web design programs like Sketch, Adobe XD, Adobe Dreamweaver, Color Wheel, Figma, Sublime Texts, Adobe Photoshop etc. to design the layout and other visual elements of a website.

What is Web Development?

Web development is about transforming a website design into a functioning and usable website. Web developers use various programs or languages for coding and they include Python, Java, HTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP, JavaScript, Ruby, C++, Swift, Shell etc.

Web designers and developers do all they can to make your website a great one. Sometimes, just one person can do both jobs!

So how exactly does web design and development affect SEO? It’s time to find out.

How Web Design and Development Affects SEO

Let’s see how web design and development affects website ranking and visibility;

SSL Certificate (HTTPs)

The “S” in HTTPS means secure. Websites that are HTTPS include the SSL 2048-bit key and can secure a website connection via encryption and authentication. Once you have an SSL installed on your website, it activates the padlock and permits secure connections from a web server to a browser.

How is this relevant to Google and SEO?

HTTPS safeguards your website data and visitors information from hackers. So once you have it installed on your site, Google has no doubt in showcasing your website on search engine result pages. Google are careful not to recommend or display phishing websites on their search engine result pages.

It is no longer news that more and more Web users are interested in websites with HTTPS whenever they have to disclose personal data, buy, or sell via the internet. Google has confirmed publicly that it has a beneficial ranking effect on your website. So Google won’t hesitate to boost your website’s visibility and ranking on search engine result pages once you have an HTTPS website whether you do transactions on your site or not.

Seamless Navigation

Google loves websites that guarantee great user-experience. A user-friendly website design makes it easier for visitors to navigate, find whatever they are looking for and to spend more time on your website.

This reduces bounce rates and gives visitors more reasons to visit your website over and over again. Also, it will improve your website’s online presence and boost its visibility and ranking on search engine result pages. Good click-through rates is a signal of quality, can help your SEO in many ways, which is why it is an important ranking factor.

But if navigation is poor, visitors will leave your website in few seconds. This increases your bounce rate and signals Google that your navigation or entire web design and development is poor.

Responsive Web Design

Responsive web design and development are the spines of mobile friendly websites. Responsive designs allow your website to look great on mobile devices regardless of their screen sizes and shapes.

The number of smart devices users is escalating constantly. According to We are social, The number of mobile phone users in 2018 is 5.135 billion, up 4 percent year-on-year.

So if you have a responsive website, you can deliver better user experience to visitors as they access your website via various devices and platforms. Considering how smart device users search for items on the web, Google ranks mobile friendly websites higher than similar ones that are not. You can learn more about Google’s recommendations on how to implement your mobile website.

Web Page Speed

If you web pages load slowly, it could be an indication that your web design or development is poor. Sometimes, it could be heavy videos or images on your web pages. So optimize your videos and images and compress them if necessary to load faster.

However, compressing your images and videos to make them look poor so your web pages can load faster will cause more SEO harm than good in the long run. It will lower your visibility and ranking on search engine result pages.

You should consider providing various video file types (MP4, Quicktime format, Mpg, 3GP file extension etc.) so visitors can choose the one that matches their internet speed rather than compress your videos to just one format.

Great Content

As the old saying goes “Content is King”. This couldn’t be more relevant and true in 2018. Great content does not rely on keywords, headings alone to rank higher. Rather, great content provides valuable information that visitors want and need, in the most usable or accessible format, and at the right time without being bored.

Your website content should be tailored to appeal to your targeted visitors rather than search engines. Publish new content regularly, such as blog posts, white papers, videos, etc. to acquire links naturally and boost your visibility and ranking on search engine result pages.

Publish reader-friendly content that will spike your readers’ interests and hold them spellbound from the top of the page to the bottom. Tell exciting stories that revolve around their pain points and solutions. Most importantly, avoid sounding like a machine or robot and avoid duplicate content.

Integrate Social Media

Your web design and development should have some room for social media. Social sharing is constantly rising and one of the easiest methods of promoting your great content is via social sharing. So integrate your social media pages into your websites to expand your audience, and increase your visitors.

Once your content gets shared back and forth, Google records the signal that your content is more valuable and your site is likely a good sign of user-friendliness as well. So never miss the chance to spread the word about your website via social media and to rank higher on search engine result pages.

Bottom Line

It’s easy to overlook website design and development when you intend to boost your SEO ranking and visibility. The focus is always on keywords, Meta descriptions, tags, SEO plugins etc. and too many webmasters misuse these elements. However, if you focus more on website design and development, and do them right, all other elements will fall into place easily and your website will favor engagement. Offering quality content, you will accrue links to your site in a natural way, which is what Google wants you to do. Combined with sound web design and development fundamentals, you are sure to earn rankings the right way, and for the long term.
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Online Marketing vs. Offline Advertising: Where to Invest

April 9, 2018 • Featured, SEO 101 • 337

No matter what the size of your marketing budget, you are always looking to get the most from it. You may have a small tight budget or a much bigger one. Regardless, one thing is key for both – understanding and analysing marketing efforts to see what works best.

Another important area of consideration for marketers is digital or print advertising. Both options have their pros and cons. But for companies working on a tight budget, in particular, digital can offer a lower cost than print. But does that mean you should only consider investing in digital?

Print vs digital

When you talk about print advertising, this is talking about magazines and billboards. Digital marketing refers to the use of search engine ads, social media and also email marketing. Most marketers look at the cost of an impression as opposed to a click or an actual lead to compare.

Virtually everyone company has an online presence now and digital marketing is widely used because it is easy to get involved with. The entry barrier for digital marketing is seen as lower than for print advertising. This is appealing to companies with limited budgets and digital can create a great foundation for marketing while print can do a low more for branding perspectives.

Print Ads

This means if you want to invest in print, print ads can be very beneficial if they are done correctly, with the right targeting and consistency. It is rarely something you do once, with one big name magazine. Instead, you look at different options and consider the costs. A full-page ad can cost £20,000 to £300,000 where the CPM can be £140 to £1300.

Remember that magazine numbers don’t always equal people seeing your ad. Not every magazine produced is purchased. Some issues are left on the stand when the new issue arrives.

Digital Ads

If you want to start with digital ads, the CPM can be £2-12. With search campaigns, you can customise to specific target audiences and also easily make changes. If you see a positive or negative outcome from an ad, you can easily adjust or alter the targeting.

In some cases, the CPM can be zero. Google display ads, for example, charge at CPC rather than CPM. This can be a great option if you have a limited budget.

Analysing the outcome

If you have a budget that can incorporate a print element, there are clear advantages to it. It is a great form of branding as well. For companies with a smaller budget, digital marketing can be a great starting place.

They can also look to advertise in smaller publications where the cost is much lower than with big ones. The key is to consider the target audience and where you will find them. And the ability to customise the ads to catch that audience is also a big draw for digital marketing.

The best answer for most companies is a balance of the two. Low-cost digital marketing with a periodical print ad alongside it.

So, a strong online presence and the ability to invest in print to supplement it in the real work. This can lead, to the most successful marketing campaigns.
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10 Customer Acquisition Strategies to Help You Win New Customers

March 29, 2018 • Featured, SEO 101 • 586

One of the most important aspects of business is building a solid customer base, and for that, you need to have a h2 customer acquisition strategy. Here are some tips on how to get new customers.

Maintain your business portal

Whether you conduct your business via social media, portfolio websites or your own website immaculate maintenance of your business portal is of utmost importance. It is the first impression that you give your prospective clients and hence it has to be absolutely impeccable. Regular maintenance, updates and necessary edits are of major importance.

Specific marketing

Gone are the days when you could simply opt for a generalized marketing, and that would be all. In order to stay ahead of the competition, you need to invest some effort into creating personal marketing campaigns which are to be created using client specific data and trends.

Tapping the audiovisual media

Audiovisual marketing in the form of video campaigns live postings and even miniature videos such as Vine, Boomerangs are ruling the world of marketing. So, sit down and create some video ideas today. For a long-term strategy open a vlog on YouTube or a similar medium and your posts will help you build an audience.

Engaging in tie-ups

Believe it or not, a professional tie-up could be of immense help to build yourself a customer base. If you can manage to set up a tie-up with a fellow vlogger or some other business which can be related to your profession, it can help you expand your clientele with less effort. The right tie-up can also help in improving the quality of the services that you offer.

Influencer marketing

If you want to reach out to a maximum number of people influencer marketing is the way to go. Social media influencers have managed to reach out to people like never before. They have a wider reach and yet, are not as expensive as celebrities. Find yourself a suitable influencer to promote your business to get a stable flow of customers.

Promotions and offers

Nothing is more tempting to people than a discount! Offer your customers discounts, promo codes for discounts, free gifts etc. In order to increase your flow of traffic, and increase customer base,

Referral Programmes

Help reach your customer goals faster by implementing a referral programme for your existing customers, offering them incentives for every successful via their referral.

Guest Posting

Guest posting helps you improve your website or blog’s SEO immensely. With the help of guest posting, you can reach out to the readers of other blogs as well as hold on to yours. You can actively engage with more client base, and you can also make use of effective backlinking to your own portal which can be crucial in increasing your search.

Using the right keywords

According to Over the Top SEO, It is important to make sure that you are making use of the right keywords to ensure that your website link comes up whenever a potential customer searches for a particular string of words on a search engine. It needs a lot of study and some hard work. Your website can rank on page 1 of Google and other search engines if you master the art of right keywords and SEO.

Create meaningful content

Content is the key to creating a viable customer base. It is what you use to reach out to your potential clients. Therefore, you have to ensure that you generate only meaningful content which is pertinent to your business.

With the help of the right steps, you can create a viable customer base.
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Google Introduces Breadcrumb SERPs

March 3, 2018 • Featured, SEO 101 • 528

Google Introduces Breadcrumb SERPs

In their latest changes, Google has now started to add breadcrumbs to the top of the page. These breadcrumbs are triggered by search queries and have an image with them. It also results in a very different result to a search query than previously and is another step towards Mobile First.

Redefining the index

Google has been working towards Mobile First for some time and this means that the company will favour those sites that render well in mobile devices. This has brought a new way of displaying the results of what people search that is suitable for mobile devices. And the new breadcrumbs appear to be part of this transition.

So far Google hasn’t issued an official announcement about the change to incorporate breadcrumbs in search results. But as they are displaying for people when they search, there’s a good chance this is no test.

Mobile First interface

This change in how those search results are one of the indications that Google is taking a major step away from how its search results are currently displayed. And is a strong indicator that it is moving towards the Mobile First approach that it has been talking about for some time.

Of course, the full definition of what Google means by mobile first is still a little uncertain. But it does seem to focus on how information will be displayed on a mobile device and how it will rank results based on this.

Search results already have a big emphasis on their optimisation for mobile devices. For example, when searching for certain types of information, Google will show results in a format that is best suited to someone on a mobile device.

Google is also taking advantage of user interactions specific to smartphones – swiping is one example. More images also prove popular with mobile users, so Google is incorporating more of them in the results page. But this doesn’t mean that things will stop working on desktop computers. Instead, the Mobile First Search Results will be different to the previous mobile first search index.

The mobile first search index concentrated on showing sites that were optimised for mobile or ‘mobile friendly’ whereas the new search results are a complete rethinking of the entire SERPs.

Breadcrumbs in action

You can quickly and easily see breadcrumbs in action. Let’s say you search for ‘queens of England’ on Google. You will see a series of small blocks, each featuring a picture of the queen and dates for their reign beneath them. Along the top of the pictures is a list of keywords – Monarch > England > Female.

When you click on any one of them, you are taken to another search page. This contains links relevant to that person. So, for Elizabeth I, we have a Wikipedia entry, a couple of articles from the BBC and a royal biography website. The link along the top of the search has now added > Elizabeth I of England to the chain.

The idea of the breadcrumb is that users can navigate away from the search results and explore without needing to type anything – they can simply swipe along the carousel of queens to find more information on the right person. So you can find the one you are looking for within no time.

Search results are also getting cleverer. If you search for ‘top football teams’ you will see results that refer to football, rather than American football. When the search is done from the Google UK search engine. And again, there will be a breadcrumb for each team that allows you to drill down further and access more information without typing in the team’s name.

Optimising for breadcrumbs

The biggest problem at the moment with optimising for breadcrumbs is that we aren’t wholly certain how Google chooses them. Images are obviously important because these are a prominent feature of every breadcrumb. Logos, pictures of a person or place are all key. Schema markup may also be useful, but it is unclear if it is essential.

Ranking for phrases may also not lead to an increase in sales. Most of the research done into breadcrumbs so far shows they are more informational results rather than advertising. This may show they are not always useful for lead generation or even sales.

Conclusion

There are three main points to consider with breadcrumbs. One – these queries do not (currently) seem to conflict with queries that show adverts. Two – they have limited use for generating leads or sales. And three – they are a key indicator of the switch to Mobile First that Google has been discussing for some time.

While more search is clearly needed to better understand breadcrumbs and their place in the new SERPs, it is for most businesses more of a curiosity at this stage. However, if you find an opportunity to optimise for a breadcrumb that might help your business, it may well be worth doing this as you create the content.
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