One of the biggest challenges online businesses face today is being relevant and ranking on search engines.

In the US alone, Google controls the majority of the search traffic. It's not surprising that the goal of any web-based marketing strategy is to rank on the top spot of Google. So, it's essential that you and your web designer incorporate some simple SEO strategies on your website's design.

In this post, we'll tackle the seven web design tips to improve your SEO rankings:

1. Consider your URL structure

Ensure that your site's URL is SEO-friendly. As much as you can, avoid using lengthy URLs, then separate terms using hyphens.

Only utilize keywords that are relevant to your business. Ideally, your URL should give people an idea of what your content is all about.

2. Produce high-quality, and fresh content

Search engines ensure that only content that is highly engaging, unique, and informative will rank higher. Moreover, there were changes in Google's algorithm in the past that favors long-form content (1500-3000 word length). 

Google also prefers visual content over texts. So, make sure that you incorporate visual media in your content like videos and images for better SEO success. 

It also helps that you regularly update your page with fresh content. If you own a blog, make sure that you include a couple of excerpts of your latest posts on your web pages. It’s because search engines like to see fresh content since it’s an indicator that your website is alive and well.

Ensure that you deliver SEO & content value at every stage of the buyer’s journey.

Moreover, regularly updating content in your blog will help you get quality links, and improve the authority of your website over time. That’s why, it’s crucial that you invest time, and resources to update your site so that it always has fresh and engaging information for your readers.

3. Choose your keywords wisely

Keywords are an essential factor for websites to rank on search engines. Therefore, keyword research is an essential aspect of SEO. It gives you an insight into what keywords will be used by users to search for your website.

Also, try to look for keywords that have high search volume yet low in competition. Chances are, these can help you rank better. Your best option here is to use long-tail keywords. Since these are specific, this improves your chances in ranking on search.

4. Create an informative title tag

A title tag will be the first thing that users will see on search engines. So, it’s crucial that you take advantage of this to explain what your company, brand, or content is all about.

Don’t forget to also include at least a single keyword that your business could be searched for online. Go for titles that don’t go over 50-60 characters. That way, they’ll appear on search results.

5. A concise meta description

Your meta description tags are usually what appears on the result of search engine pages. They give the reader an idea of what your content is all about. Also, search engines like Google utilize meta descriptions to differentiate web pages.

So it’s time to put your marketing hat and come up with a compelling description that entices the reader to click. It’s an excellent opportunity to attract visitors, so it’s essential that you write something that can help you stand out in a sea of search results.

You need to know how to differentiate each page so that you wouldn’t have any duplicate content. Place your phone number, guarantees, and other free offers so that you can boost your click-through rates (CTRs).

6. Use images and videos

Websites that include images tend to rank higher than those that don’t include any visual elements. It’s because humans are visual. Ensure that when you’re adding captions, make sure that they are relevant to each image.

Videos are as equally powerful as images because they’re easy to consume and engages the user for longer periods.

Visual content makes users stay longer on your page, which in turn, reduces your site’s bounce rates ‒ a crucial factor in SEO.

7. Make your website mobile-friendly

There are over 4.437 billion unique global users. Therefore, it would be suicidal on your part to have a site that’s difficult to navigate.

Ever since 2015 rolled in, Google made recent updates in its algorithm, favoring mobile-friendly sites and giving them higher rankings.

Users that have better mobile-experiences are the easiest to convert. So, ensure that your font sizes are scalable so that users can easily zoom in and out. Make sure that your site navigation is a breeze as well, making it easy for users to find what they’re looking for. For you to also give maximum value to your users, stay away from flash.

Over to You

There you have it. By applying these tips, you can improve your site rankings over time, making it easy for users to find you on search results. It will boost your online visibility and sales as well.