Loading ...As you’ve likely gathered if you’ve spent much time in SEO circles, web design is a major concern in search engine optimisation. The design of your site has a huge impact on how well it can communicate with the search engines. Oftentimes, the design of a website is what’s getting in the way in the first place. This is particularly true if the site owners didn’t follow the principle of simplicity in its initial design.
Many site owners aim to have a simple and straightforward site, but who ultimately end up without one. Not many people would aim for complicated and confusing sites. They end up that way because of the large number of extra concerns that come up during and after the initial web design. It’s almost unavoidable, unless you keep the ‘keep it simple, stupid’ principle firmly in mind in your planning.
There are five simple rules you can follow in your web design to keep things simple:
1. Thin it out. No matter how tempted you are to include fancy elements on your pages, it’s important to keep your design as straightforward as possible for search engine optimisation. This means avoiding things like Flash inserts, animations, amazing graphics, pop-ups and so on wherever you can.
Something to keep in mind when considering these elements is how much SEO work you’re going to have to do to make up for them. As the search engines have trouble with a lot of these elements, and the elements themselves weigh your pages down, you’re going to have to do some fancy optimisation footwork to get around them. You can talk to us about this at SEO Consult Australia. Don’t include any of the above simply because it seems like a good idea, but only because it absolutely can’t be done without.
2. Have a clear plan. So many sites fall by the complicated wayside because there hasn’t been enough time put into the planning stage. If you know exactly what you want, it will be far easier to find a clear path to getting it. A lot of the complications come from unforeseen issues, which could have been avoided with ten minutes’ more discussion.
3. Make clear paths on the information superhighway. When internet users approach your site, especially from the search pages, they’re looking for specific information. A complicated page layout can get in their way. You need to help them to find it in the quickest time possible, or they will go back to the search pages and choose one of your competitors.
4. Get to the point. Further to the point above, your content needs to present information swiftly and clearly. A lot of site owners have trouble with their content because they are uncomfortable with words and writing. If this is your case, it’s well worth getting a writer in for your content.
5. Be idiot-proof. If people have trouble with your site, they won’t be back. It’s worth getting a non-computer literate friend to browse your site to check for usability issues.
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Tags: content, Search Engine Optimisation, SEO, SEO Consult
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