Blog

Many of today's web designers assume that search engine optimization, or SEO, is a form of web development that's completely exclusive from web design.

 

However, this couldn't be further from the truth. In 2015, website design and SEO are gradually becoming more intertwined, and clients increasingly expect a combination of effective web design and SEO strategies in their online marketing campaigns as a result. It's hardly surprising, given the fact that content marketing generates three times the leads of outbound marketing, and there are an astonishing 50 million views of online video content per month. Given these facts, the need for dynamic, SEO-ready visual content is key.

 

Whether you're a freelance web designer with years of experience or a newcomer just getting started in the industry, every web designer can benefit from incorporating SEO techniques into their web designs. Here's a look at three essential tips and tools that will help you take on more SEO duties for your clients:

 

 

When coming up with potential keywords to use, many people assume that short, broad keywords are best. However, research has shown that longer, more specific keywords are actually more effective at drawing readers who are looking for the service the website offers. As a result, today's web designers can benefit immensely from long tail keywords.

 

 

Another great way to improve a website design's SEO power is to use sitemaps to your advantage. Sitemaps give search engines a clear picture of what a website is all about, making it much easier for their algorithms to rank the website and boosting targeted traffic as a result. By making search engines work harder to find this information, you risk having the site's ranking penalized.

 

 

Keywords aren't just for written content; they should also be used in a website's URL, meta description and page titles. This will ensure the search engines get a clear message about what's actually on the website -- and signifies that there's going to be high-quality website design present, as well. When an astonishing 70% of mobile searches lead to consumers taking action within an hour, the need for these keywords is clear.