Whenever two major component designers of a well-structured, well-oiled machine come together in a room to decide which of them serve the highest purpose, it is clear that the battle will last forever. I mean, will the math teacher ever admit that physics is more important? In fact neither can live without the other and web design and SEO find themselves in exactly the same situation.
But what does it really come down to? The fact of the matter is that each part considers the other more or less useless. SEO experts consider that web designers make their work that much more difficult because of poor coding and lack of SEO understanding (since web designers don’t agree that content and design are not everything) while web designers regard SEO endeavors as aggressive, manipulative and more often than not redundant.
There is some merit to SEO’s viewpoint that a site’s user-friendliness and design is not all that is relevant in making it score high on search engine rankings, while there is also merit to the idea that without an excellent web design and without fresh content, SEO pursuits would be futile. But at the end of the day, a client does not give any importance to such altercations since his main objective is having a site that is both of wonderful appearance and usability and that scores high.
The key to peace is understanding that neither side is sufficient by itself and that the synergy of both is what makes a site successful. The issue is that anti-SEO posts will continue to exist for years to come so it is paramount that people in the business get their facts straight and do what needs to be done. And they also need to know that in most cases, the ones who get attacked are exactly those who do their jobs well and with professionalism.
But what can you actively do to support both sides? Where web design is concerned, make sure you optimize your site as much as possible. Make load times 5 seconds or less on mobile devices and discard the “webpages load at an average speed of 10 seconds” rule. Also, make the most of mobile-first responsive Web designs or develop mobile website strategies that will ensure positive reactions for your business. Search functions must be easy to use, suggestions in reach and try turning search into navigation wherever possible. Also, make your sites as easily readable as possible.
As for the SEO part, keywords, keywords and again keywords. They will never be obsolete if intelligently used. I know you must be sick and tired of reading about keyword tools, and research and importance, but the truth is that you can’t do anything without them. Make use of inphographics, video content and especially guest blogging because it will help you rank higher in search engines and focus on building high-quality but also relevant links.
In conclusion, though this may not sound like good news for SEO and Web Design specialists, a truce must be found. There is no field that is more important than the other, and the only way to become successful online is by finding the perfect balance between visual and structural.
Author Bio
India Lowland is a blogger with a background in visuals and web design, who later found out she’s also very good with words and enjoys blogging. For the kind of blog post service that helps brands earn top links, she’s got a great recommendation for all those interested.