So, you’ve been tasked with managing a website project for your organisation and you know it needs to be visually appealing, easy to use, and on-brand. But there's another crucial element often overlooked: SEO web page design. It's easy to get lost in the technical jargon and competing priorities. The good news is that achieving a successful, high-ranking website doesn't have to be a headache.
This blog post is your guide to navigating the complexities of SEO web page design. We will explore the essential foundations, focusing on how to align internal goals with expert agency advice, balance user experience with SEO best practices, and maintain control through data-driven tracking and reporting.
By the end of this article, you'll gain a clearer understanding of how to collaborate effectively with an agency to design a website that not only looks great but also drives organic traffic, boosts conversions, and achieves your business objectives. Let's dive in and unlock the secrets to SEO-powered web design!
Understanding the foundations of effective SEO web page design.
A strong online presence is crucial for success, and effective SEO web page design is fundamental to enhancing that presence.
As Google is by far the most dominant search engine, holding 91.54% market share of the search engine market worldwide, appearing high in Google search results will significantly boost the number of users you attract and conversions you generate.
So, what is SEO web page design?
It’s the process of creating web pages that are visually appealing and follow a logical structure, but are also discoverable and indexable by search engines.
We’ll get into how you go about achieving that in this blog, but we highly recommend working with an agency specialising in web design and search engine optimisation for the best results.
Several key elements contribute to an SEO-friendly web design, including a carefully considered site structure.
A well-organised site with a clear hierarchy helps search engines understand the relationship between different pages and crawl your content efficiently.
Typically, this involves prioritising your main services before branching off to more niche sub-services and even sub-sub-services.
Optimising your pages with target keywords is also essential. Incorporate relevant keywords into your page titles, headings, meta descriptions, and body content in a way that feels natural, ensuring you don’t hinder user experience and readability.
Navigation should be intuitive and user-friendly, allowing visitors to easily find the information they need.
Consider technical SEO with a focus on site speed. Slow-loading pages can lead to high bounce rates and negatively impact search rankings. Again, this is something you should get a dedicated technical SEO agency to assist you with.
Users quickly leaving your site is a clear indicator to Google that your content shouldn’t be presented to users making the same or similar searches.
Another important technical aspect is responsive design. Your website should be optimised for mobile, ensuring all elements adapt seamlessly to different screen sizes and devices, providing a consistent experience for all users.
Speaking of user experience, this also plays a key role in SEO.
Google has placed increasing emphasis on the fundamentals of Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (EEAT), rewarding websites that best meet this criteria with higher search rankings.
If you want one of those websites to be yours you need to prioritise clear and concise content which directly answers the user’s question.
Additionally, the importance of internal linking can often be overlooked in web design and search engine optimisation.
Utilise strategic internal links to connect relevant pages on your site, improving site navigation and signalling to search engines the importance of specific content like key service pages.
By connecting related content, you build topic authority, demonstrating expertise on specific subjects, which is an important aspect of Google’s emphasis on EEAT as a ranking factor.
Adhering to all these web design principles should be a top priority when seeking web design SEO services.
SEO web page design example: EcoAct
EcoAct, a climate consultancy, partnered with us to improve their website's performance and generate more qualified leads.
We conducted international keyword research, optimised landing pages with target keywords, and implemented a mega menu structure and updated sitemaps for improved navigation.
We also implemented optimisations to significantly improve site speed, raising the Google PageSpeed score from 30 to 96, which would also positively impact their SEO performance.
Bridging the communication gap: aligning internal needs with agency expertise.
Working with an agency for web design or SEO isn’t just about choosing the right firm and leaving them to it.
Instead, your agency should establish clear and consistent lines of communication from the outset.
This starts by translating your goals and expectations for your project, which is one of the most challenging aspects of working with an agency that’s not familiar with your business.
Essentially, you want to combine your industry knowledge with their expertise in SEO web page design.
While you might have a strong understanding of your business, audience, and values, they could be misinterpreted if they’re not made clear to your agency, potentially leading to errors in your strategy.
Likewise, other internal teams and stakeholders might have different ambitions to yourself, which could lead to conflict, confusion and ultimately disappointment if their expectations aren’t met.
Thankfully, there are several methods for avoiding these issues.
Firstly, whilst you want the project to be collaborative and involve all departments, we recommend having a single internal point of contact such as a project manager.
This individual should have a thorough understanding of the project and be able to clearly articulate what the organisation as a whole wants throughout the SEO web page design process.
Next, ensure your agency is provided with all the information and documentation they need, including briefs, brand guidelines, target audience profiles, and competitor analysis if applicable.
Kick things off with a discovery call so the agency can dig deep into your business and your audience. Combine these with internal stakeholder interviews so the agency can build up a clear picture of your organisation and values.
And finally, be sure to schedule regular meetings on top of email communication, providing an opportunity to feedback, address any issues, and keep all parties up to date with progress.
As well as communicating with your chosen agency, you’ll also need to manage your internal stakeholders’ expectations.
Implementing any SEO strategy is a long-term process requiring consistent input over a sustained period.
It’s important to make stakeholders aware of this to not only ease expectations for immediate success, but also to ensure they remain onboard and committed in the long run.
Equally, it’s your agency’s responsibility to provide realistic expectations for you to pass on internally, rather than sucking you in by promising short-term success that won’t be achieved.
Expect monthly reports that cover SEO keyword rankings, key website metrics and Google algorithm updates. This will ensure you both have a clear picture of success and any updates that need to be made to your web pages to improve rankings.
This helps to build trust from the outset which can be built upon through regular updates on the progress towards the agreed long-term goals.
Balancing SEO with UX (a delicate act).
When designing a website, SEO and UX are intertwined and crucial for attracting and retaining clients.
The Google Search Algorithm Leak of 2024 underscores how user experience substantially influences search engine rankings.
Google assesses user interactions through various metrics and systems, directly affecting a site's visibility in search results. Here's how these insights can be applied to your SEO web page design.
Optimising User Signals
Google's algorithm uses NavBoost, which relies on click data from Google Chrome to determine a webpage’s importance. This means pages that generate more clicks and better engagement are favoured.
The types of clicks—good, bad, and long—significantly influence a page's ranking. This highlights the need to create compelling content that encourages users to click and remain on the site.
Content and Information Architecture
Given that Google's algorithm favours content that is well-structured and provides value, you should focus on:
- Clear Navigation: Ensure the site is easy to navigate, allowing users to find information quickly.
- Informative Content: Provide detailed information about services, team profiles and case studies.
- Engaging Media: Incorporate videos, infographics and interactive elements to keep users engaged. Use case study videos on service pages – this also increases conversion rates, engagement and dwell time, which is a Google ranking factor.
- Enhance Author SEO: Demonstrating expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) can improve rankings. Highlight your teams’ credentials, experience, and professional affiliations. On service pages and thought leadership, be sure to include links to the relevant bios.
- Optimise High-Quality Content: Content should meet search intent with a clearly defined structure and user journey. Think about what questions they’ll be asking and what order, then map your page structure accordingly. Avoid keyword stuffing and ensure content is well-written and informative.
- Integrate Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO): Use compelling calls to action and clear navigation to guide users.
By prioritising these elements, you can create a website that not only ranks well in search results but also provides a positive and informative experience for potential clients.
SEO web page design example: Hudgells
We achieved a 99% increase in website conversion rate YoY for Hudgell Solicitors by implementing a range of conversion points in their thought leadership content, including expandable ‘Call me back’ CTAs.
Data-driven decisions: tracking and reporting for SEO web page design.
Measuring the success of SEO web page design isn’t simple, but it is vital.
Accurately measuring performance allows you to make data-driven decisions to continually optimise in the future, ultimately maximising ROI.
With that in mind, there are several metrics you should be tracking as part of your SEO web page design efforts.
Some of the most important include:
- Organic traffic – Website visitors who arrive from unpaid search engine results, such as through Google and other search engines
- Keyword rankings – Where you appear on search engines for your target keywords, such as your key services
- Conversion rates – The number of users who take a desired action once they visit your website, such as filling out a form or making a call
Additionally, there is a wealth of other metrics that provide an indication of how engaged users are by your content, such as:
- Bounce rate – The number of users quickly leaving your site after they access it.
- Pages per session – How many different pages users are visiting before they leave your site.
- Average session duration – How long users spend on your site before leaving.
Effectively monitoring these metrics and using them to drive decision-making requires setting up and integrating various systems.
Implementing Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and creating conversion events (also known as ‘key events’) is a must, ensuring your conversions are being tracked correctly and you’re receiving accurate data.
Your website can then be integrated with an SEO tool like Semrush, allowing you to monitor keyword rankings and plan future content around hot topics and trends.
Finally, use Google Looker Studio to present your data in a way that is easy to understand when reporting to your stakeholders.
Clearly seeing the results from web design and search engine optimisation will keep both stakeholders invested in your efforts and motivate your fee earners to continue their contributions, predominantly by generating thought leadership content.
Because of everything that goes into monitoring and reporting, this can significantly impact web design costs, but comprehensive analytics dashboards and custom reporting are hugely worthwhile investments.
Choosing to partner with an agency for web design that prioritises data-driven insights will ultimately put you in the best position to maximise your revenue, leading to a higher ROI than if you’d chosen a less comprehensive solution.
Choosing the right web design SEO services is not only about the upfront costs but also the investment in the tools and analysis needed for long-term success.
Ready to elevate your SEO web page design?
Effective SEO web page design is crucial for driving targeted traffic and achieving your organisation’s goals.
Contra boasts proven expertise in crafting user-focused websites that rank highly and convert visitors into clients.
Contact us today to discuss how we can help elevate your online presence with our bespoke web design SEO services.
