From changes to local listings to regular algorithm updates, the landscape of SEO is forever evolving and changing, and it can be difficult to keep up with all the arising trends. However, one sure way to help your business stay on top of the curve is to stop worrying about Google’s endless changes and updates, and instead place your main focus onto your website’s users. Google has made it quite clear that providing a great user experience is exactly what they are looking for, so providing relatable, interesting content, having a website that loads quickly and is easy to navigate, and generally running a site that users enjoy visiting is going to stand you in much better stead than worrying about keywords and listings. But, it’s also important to consider how your user is feeling. Here’s where experience design comes in, and why it is so important for SEO.

#1. Page Loading Speed:

The design of your website can make it look amazing, but it can also slow the loading speed right down. Think twice before you incorporate large video and image files, hefty mega menus, and other large elements into your design – although they look great and make your site stand out visually, they could be the reason why users are bouncing off it quickly when it takes more than a few seconds to load. Of course, it’s entirely possible to include all of these things on your site and still load in the recommended three seconds – use Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool to check whether your site is performing well.

#2. Ease of Navigation:

Another key component of your web design which directly effects the user experience is your site’s navigation system. This is part of the UX, but also a huge part of experience design. You will want to design your website in such a way that customers do not once feel frustrated when they are using it. This is particularly true for e-commerce websites, which often tend to attract users who know what kind of product they are looking for and want to find it as quickly as possible. And when it comes to SEO, more satisfied users on your site tells search engines that it deserves rankings. If you’re interested in seeing more examples of experience design done well, check out Clockwork.

#3. Easy Checkout Process:

If you run an e-commerce website, one of the main questions to ask yourself when designing is ‘what are people looking for when they shop online?’. A good shopping experience will not only provide you with an SEO boost, but also help to reduce other common industry issues such as cart abandonment. Bear in mind that most online shoppers today are purchasing from a smartphone or tablet, so you need to come up with a checkout system that is easy to use on these devices and provides the user with an experience that they can’t fault. Simple features such as allowing the option to use saved details from their device are essential in designing an easy and enjoyable shopping experience.

SEO isn’t all about keywords and listings. Designing your site to provide a great experience for users is playing a bigger part than ever before.