Loading ...Finding information on a website can be a bit of a treasure hunt. You start out with the single clue of your keyword, which you use to locate the right treasure map through the search engine results pages. After clicking, you probably arrive at a site’s home page. Where you go from there depends on the skill with which the site is designed.
Every home page has to provide signs to visitors that the information they’re looking for is located somewhere on the site. The job of your design, and of your search engine optimisation, is to provide the first major clue on the treasure map, right there on the home page.
Designing the paths of your site has to be approached much like a treasure map, although it has to be a very simple one. You set out clues on each stage of the path which will lead users through your pages to the right information.
Step one: understand your users
1. Figure out who your users are. Most websites have more than one target user group. It is vital that the home page sets out paths for each of these user groups. You can talk to us at SEO Consult Australia about defining the target user groups of your search engine optimization campaign.
2. Figure out what each group needs. Every internet user will come to your site with a specific need. The research stages of SEO should be used to set out which users fit which keywords, and how the keywords are related. You can use this information to set out logical paths through your site.
3. Figure out how this relates to your own objectives. Every site has its own objectives, whether it’s to sell a product or to distribute the right information. If you’re undergoing SEO, it’s likely that your objective involves profit. Finding a way to work your own objectives into the equation is a basic marketing tenet.
Step two: lay out the treasure map
Treasure hunts are about deciphering the clues and following them to the logical conclusion. Because your business relies on your site users to find their treasure, you have to make this particular hunt easy. When it comes to the home page, obvious clues are the way to go.
For example, if one of your target user groups is 1) concerned dog owners, who are (2) looking for health information, and you (3) want them to buy your dog vitamins, the obvious thing to do is set up a dog health signifier on your home page. You might do this with a call to action, such as a big button with ‘Concerned about your dog’s health?’ in the top right corner of your home page. If you wanted to be a bit more subtle, you might put a snippet of a featured article on the home page that concerns dog health, with a link through to the next stage in the journey.
It’s important to keep these treasure hunts simple, and short. Don’t bore users. Give them what they want to get what you want.
Related posts:
- Your home page is your hub
- Getting customers on the right track
- Send Out The Welcoming Committee
- Your home page text
- How to Map Out User Paths
Tags: Consult, Home, Keywords, Search Engine Optimisation, SEO
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