SEO Web Design: The Secret to Top Rank

SEO web design is a term for building a website specifically for high visibility in Google search.  If you own a local business in Colorado Springs or any urban area that needs to be found on Google, then you need to understand the pros and cons of SEO web design.

We are a web design company specializing in local SEO.  In this post, we answer the question “What is SEO web design?” and explain how web design and SEO go hand-in-hand and the reasons why you need to define your local SEO strategy before you start designing your website. 

What is SEO Web Design?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization which is the art and science of making your website rank higher in Google.  Web design is the process of defining the goals, messaging, structure, look and feel, etc. of a website. 

The term “SEO web design” is the idea that your web design is largely based on the goal of being found in Google on searches using the keywords that your prospects use to find your business.

SEO web design, therefore, is the process of building a business website from the ground up with the intention to rank at the top of Google search results. 

How does SEO affect your website design?

So, what does SEO web design actually look like? Is it a visual component of web design?  Or is it strictly in the words on the website?  

The answer is yes to both questions.  Yes, you can see the SEO in web design both visually and in the messaging on a website.  However, when correctly done the SEO is a natural, enhancing component of the web design. 

Below are just four of the many elements of web design that is founded on SEO.  These four elements have both a visual and messaging – or wording – aspect:

1. The website will have “landing pages” or individual web pages that focus on a single topic or what we call the “focus keyword.” The goal of each landing page is to be top-ranked in Google for searches using the focus keyword. 
2. The heading at the top of each landing page will contain the focus keyword, usually at the beginning of the phrase or sentence that is the headings.
3. The focus keyword will be in the first sentence of the copy of the landing page
4. The website is built to download fast and be easy to navigate especially on mobile

Those are just four of the more than two dozen ways SEO web design is often applied to an individual web page.

As you can see from the list above the impact of SEO on the web design is in the:

• Structure – individual landing pages are created 
• Wording – the focus keyword is in specific locations 
• Look/feel – the focus keyword is in the headings
• Technology – the website must be designed to download quickly, especially on mobile

So does the effect of SEO on your website design seem like a good thing or bad thing?  Let’s explore the benefits and costs of SEO web design.

Pros and Cons of Web Design Based on SEO

SEO web design comes with its fair share of advantages and disadvantages.  We list a few of them out below.

Advantages

1. Your website ranks high on Google thereby increasing visitor traffic to your company website
2. The visitors to your company website are highly qualified prospects because they need what your website and business offer
3. Your company’s web site structure and messaging is focused around the needs of searchers, i.e. your prospects, thereby giving your web visitors a good user experience
4. A local business website is usually better organized, easier to navigate and delivers better content when built around the concepts of SEO web design

Disadvantages 

1. SEO takes time which will slow down web design and development.  Time is money so the effort needed for SEO can add a significant cost to the website development.
2. SEO is an ongoing activity that typically takes 8-24 hours per month for a typical local business. This can cost hundreds even thousands a month.
3. SEO may compel some local business owners to create web content they are not interested in producing.  For example, blogging on a regular basis. How many plumbers do you know that like to blog?
   
4. Highly visual and/or artistic oriented websites may object to the inclusion of hundreds of words on web pages that they prefer to be visual. For example, photographers, interior designers, etc. tend to love images and want to minimize text.

What kind of businesses need SEO web design?

You now know that web design based on SEO is great for increasing your web traffic but that it is also expensive.  So do you need SEO driven web design for your business website?  Will a focus on web design and SEO deliver a positive return on investment?

The types of local companies that need SEO based web design are businesses that want to increase visibility, leads and/or sales.  If you need local Colorado Springs residents and businesses to call you or walk in your door, then your business probably needs SEO web design.

Examples of local companies that need SEO driven web design are attorneys, medical practices, personal services, contractors and repair services, professional services and the hospitality industry.

Summary

Your website should be your most profitable resource.  For that to happen, most local Colorado Springs businesses can benefit from SEO web design to increase leads and sales from Google search.  

To learn more about SEO web design request your free SEO consultation.