Have you just checked a website and felt like damn… what a good look a website can have. The color combination of the logo to the website’s aesthetic look the sleekness of its payment method, and the easy check-in to easy contact form make your life easier and you hit like that design instantly. That’s the UI /UX of a website.
This is not about having a UI UX design to look beautiful for your website. It also helps in Google ranking… User experience is an important part of SEO because search engines like Google prioritize websites that provide a positive experience for their users.
Yes, you heard right that the User experience plays a huge role in SEO as well.
You know someone came to your website and the person found it cool and wanted to spend more time scrolling your services and so on. When a website is easy to navigate, loads quickly, and provides valuable, relevant content, users are more likely to stay on the site and engage with its content. This leads to lower bounce rates and higher dwell times, which are positive signals for search engines. Additionally, user-friendly websites are more likely to attract natural backlinks from other reputable sites, further boosting their SEO performance. In summary, prioritizing user experience not only improves the overall quality of a website but also enhances its visibility and ranking in search engine results.
You have to dig somewhat deeper for this and go back to the basics of the needs of search.
What do you think about the origin of the search and this search engine optimization industry?
Why was this industry created? And how SEO plays an important part in it.
This was the first question that should come into your mind while analyzing this whole user experience scenario related to the SEO of a website
Let’s explore more using a case study.
We go to search engines to get the information, knowledge, or content for our questions or queries. We get our answers by typing our specific keyword and then searching for that.
Suppose the case 1
You want to buy a guitar in your home city Y. And you are not familiar with the local shops around you. So you just want to have some information about that to make a call and buy your guitar.
Your search for the keyword… Best guitar shops in your and there you are shown some results by search engines like Google and you click on one of the SERPs.
There you get a bunch of irrelevant text and some advertising images and then you just check that for a moment and just bounce back to the results or close the window itself if this was done by you many times and all the results are like that.
How did you feel about the experience you had as a searcher?
If it was released many times… Would you still go to the same search engine to search for your query?
Would you even find it relevant to get your information by searching in the search engines after such an experience?
Clearly, it is a no-no situation for you to waste your time there and also you got the worst user experience. And due to that, you won’t be going to search or search on that specific search engine like Google or Bing or whatever.
Now let’s assume another case
Imagine searching for guitar shops in your area, finding detailed information on addresses and contact numbers, then easily connecting with one to fulfill your needs seamlessly.
Now how do you feel about that?
Would you like to come again on that search engine if you are in need of any other similar or other information? Of course a Big YES.
And you got an awesome user experience for that. That’s how Google’s UI/UX works.
If you don’t want to have a high bounce rate, you have to think about UI and UX.
UI things that are directly connected with SEO
Here are some UI things that are directly connected with SEO :
- If you have hidden content (links for example) it is potentially a bad search experience and Google doesn’t like it
- Watch out for your site speed it is an important ranking factor
- Your must-have mobile website – Google puts mobile first
- Users can’t see the ads because of the ads
- Rich snippets are great but only if you know how to use it
User experience can affect SEO in more ways than you may imagine. Let’s dive into a deeper level…
Think of it this way: Google’s search engine retains its users by creating the best search experience it possibly can for everybody.
In order to achieve this, Google needs to ensure that it lists what Google perceives to be the best sites for the entered keywords, considering things like the relevance of content, user experience, and whether the site is safe or not.
User experience elements affect your SEO rankings
The following user experience elements may affect your SEO rankings:
- Sites not sitting behind an SSL certificate
- Compromised website (ie, the website has been hacked)
- Poor website performance
- Poorly structured website or sitemap
- Bad mobile experience
- Unreadable website content (lack of text contrast, bad fonts)
- Lack of engaging or misleading website content
- Broken links
- Poor accessibility
- Poor design that leads to bad user experience (such as buttons being too small)
- Excessively large images/page sizes
Competitive environmental pressures drive search engines to measure and reward quality. Search engine companies monetize volume and delivering quality search results is one way to maintain or build volume. Clickbait, link farms, etc. may raise SERP but create an unhappy search customer. Unhappy customers seek alternatives. Happiness = volume = ad sales.
User experience (UX) is a crucial factor in the success of a website, and it can have a direct and indirect impact on search engine optimization (SEO). Search engines aim to provide the best possible results to users. There are some key points that should be available for a great user experience on your website.
Let’s talk about this in detail
- Fast and Furious Page Load Speed: Faster-loading pages contribute to a positive user experience. Users are more likely to stay on a site that loads quickly, reducing bounce rates. Google has indicated that page speed is a ranking factor. Websites with faster loading times may receive better rankings in search engine results.
- Coziness of Mobile Friendliness: With the increasing use of mobile devices, Google considers mobile-friendliness as a ranking factor. A responsive design and a mobile-friendly interface enhance user experience, which, in turn, can positively influence search rankings.
- Hero of the website Content Quality and Relevance: High-quality, relevant content that satisfies user intent is crucial for SEO. Content should be easy to read, informative, and engaging. If users find value in your content and spend more time on your site, it signals to search engines that your content is relevant and helpful, potentially improving your rankings.
- Easy hands-on Site Navigation and Structure: A well-organized and easily navigable site structure contributes to a positive user experience. Users should be able to find information effortlessly. Proper site navigation helps search engines crawl and index your site more effectively, improving the overall SEO.
- Stay More for Low Bounce Rates and High Dwell Time: Low bounce rates (percentage of visitors who leave the site after viewing only one page) and high dwell time (time users spend on your site) are positive signals for search engines. If users engage with your content and explore multiple pages, it suggests that your website is relevant and valuable, potentially leading to improved rankings.
- Useful User Engagement and Social Signals: Social signals, such as likes, shares, and comments, can indirectly influence SEO. Engaging content is more likely to be shared, increasing its visibility and potential to attract backlinks.
- No Hidden Secrets of Secure and Accessible Websites: Websites with secure connections (SSL/HTTPS) are favored by search engines. Security is part of a positive user experience, especially when handling sensitive information. Accessible websites that accommodate users with disabilities also contribute to a better overall user experience.
- Voice of Local SEO and User Reviews: For businesses with a local presence, positive user reviews and a good local user experience are critical for local SEO. Local search algorithms consider factors such as proximity, relevance, and prominence, with user reviews playing a significant role.
Conclusion
In summary, a positive user experience contributes to improved SEO by aligning with search engines’ goals of delivering valuable and relevant content to users. Search engines aim to reward websites that prioritize user satisfaction, so optimizing for a positive UX can have a direct impact on search rankings.
The whole market of search is dependent on user experience. Search engines like Google which get most of their revenue from advertisements on their platforms would go bankrupt if they get bad user experience to that extent or for less severe situations… Their market share would go down.
Who will click on their ads if there are no/fewer users and who will advertise and pay to them if there are user voids created?
I have just explained that with the extreme conditions just to make you understand what the magic user experience is.
How it can build a business or break a business. SEO can be a game-changer for your business there can be exceptions but this is the whole truth about having a good user experience.
We are at FRD studio working on these core factors to provide the best user experience for the business. If you have a business and need a cool user experience for your website we are here to help you out. How we can help your business to build the best user experience for your business.
