There are plenty of intertwined elements on the web, all of which influence the virtual performance of a brand. Web design and SEO, for example, are closely interrelated. Short for search engine optimization, SEO essentially correlates to search engine rankings. On the other hand, web design corresponds to a website’s technical aspects. 

All of that said, how does web design then affect SEO rankings? In this blog, we’re going to explore their relationship further.

Web Design & SEO Rankings

At this point, it is worth looking back at an earlier era of web design to evaluate how search engines have evolved. A decade ago, SEO involved choosing the right keywords and thinking up content. That said, over time and with further use of the internet, search engines evolved. In today’s day and age, it’s user-oriented and tends to crawl websites that can fulfil the needs of a user, enhance their experience as they browse the web and answer their questions.

Search engines presently consider not only the words of each page on a website but also its design when determining which websites to show in search results. Today, search engines cannot just point people to a website; they must also provide end-users with an intuitive, efficient experience that leads to the expected content in the least number of steps.

Aside from keywords and content authenticity, most of the factors are directly related to web design and development. This is the root of SEO rankings having a considerable means of affecting web design.

How Does Web Design Affect SEO Rankings?

The first thing to note, and perhaps the most important one, is that web design affects SEO rankings in more ways than one. This means business owners have to be able to stay concerned about web design and development alongside search engine optimization work. 

A good rule of thumb at this point is to find a website design company that understands the company’s needs and can really help things along. Read on to learn more about the interrelation of web design and SEO rankings:

Poorly Designed Websites Aren’t Ranked By Search Engines

Search engines now resonate the likes and dislikes of humans. What human beings don’t like are also, in turn, largely ignored or rejected by search engines. Elements like popups, flashing ads, complicated layouts and unprofessional fonts will turn a search engine off as much as it would a person.

Luckily, there are plenty of SEO-friendly fonts, designs and templates in existence that boost rankings on search engines.

Websites That Are Easy to Navigate Are Necessary For Search Engines

For most people, a website is the first point of contact they have with any business. Ease of navigation is a key factor in website design and development. The easier it is to navigate a website, the more user-friendly it is. When a website is tough to navigate, no matter how good the content is, chances are users will be turned off. That means search engines will largely write it off as well.

Conclusion

Web design and development involve the technical aspect of a website. On the other hand, SEO relates to search engine rankings. Web design affects SEO in a number of ways, including search engines requiring websites to be easy to navigate. Additionally, search engines do not rank websites that are poorly designed.

Searching Winnipeg for web design support? Drop Hello Digital Marketing a line today! We love creating digital solutions for businesses, like building a brand, designing a website and delighting audiences.