@timbdesignmpls

When someone tells me web design doesn’t affect SEO

@timbdesignmpls

● Bounce rate – a visitor clicks on your listing in the SERP and then hits the back button returning to the SERP after they see your site/content. This shows a low value for that page.

● Time on site – if you get past the bounce, then the next indicator is time on site. Literally how much time the user spends on the site once they’ve clicked in from the SERPs. The more time, the better.

Google’s looking for indications of quality both in design and content to

help rank sites

Why are you here tonight?

@timbdesignmpls

@timbdesignmpls

Not enough content● People will go elsewhere to get information about

you.

● People will go elsewhere to get information about the services you provide.

● Google has a harder time figuring out all the things that you do, that people might be searching for.

@timbdesignmpls

@timbdesignmpls

Too Much Content (Wall of text)

● People don’t understand your SEO wizardry and tune out these massive chunks of text.

● They might assume that you just don’t understand design and get the impression you’re unprofessional.

● No visual hierarchy – we need to prioritize!

@timbdesignmpls

@timbdesignmpls

@timbdesignmpls

Mitigate Analysis Paralysis

(with a Sampler Platter)

● Give people the high level ideas quickly.

● Make sure they are visual

● Give them a deeper explanation later in the page

@timbdesignmpls

@timbdesignmpls

@timbdesignmpls

Take giant amounts of text and tuck it in

show/hides● Question and Answer Format

● Specific features or deeper explanations of benefits

● There are right / wrong ways to do this for better indexing – for more info on doing this in a white hat, good for everybody way using javascript check out bit.ly/showhides

{devs}

@timbdesignmpls

@timbdesignmpls

The old ‘alternating images’

left and right trick● If you pay attention to typography choices closely it can do the job and feel high end

● Use full width sections and alternate background colors

● I like to give clients flexible content fields in Advanced Custom Fields so they can just add infinite number of these and choose left and right.

{devs}

@timbdesignmpls

@timbdesignmpls

Take your footer design seriously,

and use it to rank pages● The design of the footer is almost as important as the header in my opinion, as it is the frame of the website and is on every page.

● Have a resources section you can add things you want to give an internal linking boost to.

● Don’t over-do it – your link power also leaks out this way.

@timbdesignmpls

{devs}

@timbdesignmpls

Style H1’s small, when you want to use the largest

text for real title● Maybe just a suggestion for your developer

● Basically so you can cater the H1 for the search engine

● Use the biggest text instead for marketing messaging or the real title

{devs}

@timbdesignmpls

@timbdesignmpls

@timbdesignmpls

Copyblock bigger text intros to catch someone’s

attention first● Make the first paragraph or first 3 bullet points bigger to make it easy for them to start reading.

● 2 - 3 - 4 sentences at most to make it easy to digest

● Many ways to use this general principle. People want something small and more prominent first – if you hook them with that, they’ll read the rest.

@timbdesignmpls

● Code to make the first paragraph bigger with CSS.

{devs}

article p:first-of-type {font-size: 1.25em;}

@timbdesignmpls

Educating your designers and developers

● If you’re not already you need to be thinking about your designers and developers as problem-solvers not just technicians doing your bidding

● Write up SEO best practices up as a ‘Standard Operating Procedures’ document and have them sign them.

● Give them the end goal – to get your clients more search engine traffic, more customers/clients, and money! Give em’ the vision.

@timbdesignmpls

If you have a web design project, I have availability

starting June 1st – let me know if I can be of service!tim@timbdesign.

com