Creating digital experiences that satisfy users and search engines may seem at odds, but in fact user experience (UX) and search engine optimization (SEO) share similar goals and principles.
With strategic planning and savvy execution, you can absolutely build products that rank highly in search results while also delivering delightful user experiences.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll overview proven best practices for aligning UX and SEO efforts to create digital products that attract qualified organic traffic, convert visitors into customers and foster loyalty and engagement over time.
Shared Goals of UX and SEO
On the surface, UX design and SEO may seem totally unrelated. User Experience focuses on satisfying user needs through enjoyable interactions and seamless workflows. SEO focuses on optimizing content and technical factors so pages rank higher in search results.
But if you look closer, UX and SEO share the same foundational goals:
- Drive Targeted Traffic: SEO draws visitors from search engines based on relevant queries. UX convinces visitors to engage further once they arrive.
- Understand Users: UX research uncovers user needs and behaviors. Keyword research reveals user search intent and interests.
- Add Value: Useful, satisfying content earns links and engagement, fueling SEO. Optimized SEO helps users find that valuable content.
- Achieve Business Goals: UX drives conversions and ROI when users’ needs are met. SEO-driven traffic stimulates growth.
- Continuous Improvement: Data reveals UX issues to refine iteratively. Analysis guides SEO optimization.
UX and SEO both aim to connect users to solutions, driving growth and loyalty for the business.
So, rather than viewing UX and SEO as disconnected pursuits, recognize how they mutually support overall business goals when developed synergistically.
UX Best Practices
What are some proven UX design principles and techniques that also lend themselves well to SEO?
Research User Needs
Conducting detailed User Experience research to understand your users gives you keen insight into what problems they face and what questions they ask. This knowledge directly informs SEO keyword research. By aligning content to the terms and issues users care about, you attract qualified organic traffic from search.
Tactics:
- User interviews and surveys
- Analytics analysis
- Search query analysis
- Competitive analysis
Streamline Navigation
Intuitive information architecture and navigation remove obstacles, allowing users to easily find information and complete tasks. This supports SEO through shorter, more efficient user flows that keep visitors engaged.
Tactics:
- Card sorting to optimize IA
- Clear menus and taxonomies
- Contextual links
- Refine site search
Guide Users with Content
Compelling, empathetic copy provides cues about how to use a digital product successfully. This improves SEO since properly guided users are less likely to immediately bounce from pages. Provide just enough direction while avoiding “salesy” language.
Tactics:
- Microcopy and tooltips
- FAQs and help documentation
- Landing page and blog optimization
- Instructional videos
Make Actions Obvious
Clear visual cues, like buttons and links, communicate what actions users can take next. This facilitates site navigation and conversions, allowing SEO-driven visitors to quickly find what they need.
Tactics:
- Prominent, consistent CTAs
- Intuitive icons
- Transitions and animations
- Visual signifiers
Speak Users’ Language
Content should match users’ vocabulary, avoiding unnecessary jargon. This natural language optimization (NLO) makes copy more relatable. SEO also benefits since searchers can easily find information using familiar query terms.
Tactics:
- Incorporate target keywords naturally
- Explain niche terms
- Localize content by market
- Read copy aloud for clarity
Simplify Tasks
Breaking tasks into intuitive sequences of steps helps users complete goals efficiently. This improves engagement metrics important to SEO, like time on page, page depth, and conversion rates.
Tactics:
- User flows and storyboards
- Progress indicators
- Consistent UI patterns
- Error prevention and recovery
Test with Real Users
Nothing reveals User Experience flaws better than observing real users interacting with your product. Fixing issues that damage user success also benefits SEO through better engagement and conversion metrics.
Tactics:
- Moderated usability testing
- Session recordings and heatmaps
- A/B testing
- Support call analysis
SEO Best Practices
Five SEO fundamentals that align with creating good User Experience:
1. Optimize Page Speed
Slow, bloated pages frustrate users, especially on mobile. Improving page speed with performance optimizations like image compression keeps visitors engaged. Don’t sacrifice UX for superfluous visuals.
Tactics:
- Reduce image file sizes
- Compress and minify CSS/JavaScript
- Asynchronous loading
- Eliminate render-blocking resources
2. Improve Mobile Optimization
With more search happening on smartphones, a clunky mobile User Experience ruins the user journey. Ensure content is easily scannable and actions simple on small screens. Avoid interstitials and “pinch-zooming.”
Tactics:
- Responsive web design
- Tap targets and spacing
- Mobile-friendly forms
- Accordion content sections
3. Enhance Site Architecture
An intuitive IA that distills content into logical sections and flows directly supports search crawling and engine indexing of pages.
Tactics:
- Organized navigation menus
- Descriptive page URLs
- Contextual page titles
- XML site maps
4. Produce Quality Content
Comprehensive, engaging copy keeps users interested and earns links/shares that aid ranking. But avoid over-optimization that reads unnaturally. Focus first on satisfying users.
Tactics:
- Article themes and clusters
- Multimedia content
- Structured data markup
- Syndication across properties
5. Follow Core Web Vitals
Google ranks pages higher that adhere to its Core Web Vitals for UX. Meeting thresholds for Largest Contentful Paint, First Input Delay and Cumulative Layout Shift enhances real user experiences.
Tactics:
- Code splitting
- Resource prioritization
- Layout stability
- Interactivity monitoring
Bringing UX and SEO Together
Hopefully this gives you a sense of how UX design choices directly impact SEO success factors. Here are six strategies to align efforts:
1. Collaborate cross-functionally
Have UX designers and SEO strategists regularly collaborate, sharing research insights and guiding principles. This breaks down silos.
2. Involve SEO early in UX process
When planning a new feature or redesign, loop in SEO to provide keyword and ranking considerations early on.
3. Design from SEO data
Inform UX design choices by identifying top funnel keywords and understanding searcher intent through analytics. Design to satisfy that intent.
4. Test SEO changes with users
When optimizing content or markup for SEO, always test changes with users to ensure no negative UX impact.
5. Evaluate UX with SEO metrics
Use SEO metrics like clickthrough rates, time on page and bounce rates to catch any UX issues on important landing pages.
6. Fix technical issues
SEO audits may uncover webmaster issues – like broken links or thin content – that hinder bots but also confuse users. Resolve for joint benefit.
Key Takeaways
The synergy between excellent UX and effective SEO cannot be overstated in today’s digital landscape. Businesses should adopt practices that thoughtfully serve both.
- Understand users deeply. Thorough UX research also fuels SEO keyword targeting.
- Simplify complex tasks. Well-guided UX flows benefit engagement metrics.
- Speak user language naturally. This makes copy relatable for users and search engines alike.
- Test with real users continuously. Fixing usability issues also improves SEO performance indicators.
- Follow Core Web Vitals. Optimizing for Google’s UX metrics lifts real page rankings.
- Involve UX and SEO teams collaboratively. Plan holistically, not in separate silos.
Digital products designed to satisfy users’ needs across the full experience – while also aligning to SEO fundamentals – will attract qualified traffic that reliably converts and returns. Adopting shared best practices ensures your brand realizes the full potential where sterling UX and strong SEO intersect.
