How UX Affects SEO
-
Upload
misty-faucheux-open-networker -
Category
Documents
-
view
210 -
download
0
Transcript of How UX Affects SEO
How UX Affects SEOBy: Misty Faucheux
Faucheux EnterprisesMistyfaucheux.com
What Is UX?
UX is short for “user experience”. Google defines this as:◦ the overall experience of a person using a product
such as a website or computer application, especially in terms of how easy or pleasing it is to use.
The Meaning of “UX”
UX is important for a variety of factors:◦ Improves the chances of someone doing an action
on the site◦ Makes it easier for users to find what they’re
looking for◦ Improves site flow◦ Ensures the site meets the needs of the customer◦ Overall, a good UX makes a good website
Why Is It Important
The UX Rumor Mill
Google manually checking sites for UX◦ True? Probably not, but….
Scrolling sites not good for business◦ Scrolling sites don’t get ranked well◦ While probably not true, there is some anecdotal
evidence for this◦ Why? Again – just a rumor - Div tags not actually
individual pages so Google takes it as a single page as opposed to multiple pages.
Rumors
UX and SEO Ranking Factors
Bad UX is Bad for Business
Page load issues◦ Increases bounce rate◦ Reduces conversions◦ Hard to navigate with mobile
How Bad UX Hurts SEO
Site Navigability◦ People quickly leave hard to navigate sites◦ Won’t come back to site if they can’t find what
they’re looking for◦ They’re not going deeper into your site affecting
pages per visit◦ If content is hard to find, then the consumer isn’t
going looking for it. They need to be directed to quality content like blogs, products, etc.
How Bad UX Hurts SEO
URL Structure◦ URL structure is for BOTH robots and people – but
people first!◦ URLs should be easy to remember and not overly
long◦ Should also incorporate keywords – without
stuffing◦ If URLs are too long, figure out where categorical
information can be logically cut
How Bad UX Hurts SEO
External Sites Won’t Link to You◦ If other quality sites think your site is bad, then
they won’t link to hit.◦ No backlink juice
How Bad UX Hurts SEO
Bad 301 Redirects Tank Current SEO Standings◦ If pages are moved and not directed correctly,
you lose all the ranking factors for those pages. If done correctly, the PageRank will be transferred to the new page.
◦ Redirects not sent to a comparable page could confuse the user
◦ Always make sure 301 redirects are done for all deleted or moved pages. If not, you’ll waste good backlinks from other sites.
How Bad UX Hurts SEO
Mobile Factor
Google’s new emphasis on mobile◦A site that’s not optimized for mobile is bad
for business – both for SEO and for conversions
◦Google has put a huge emphasis on sites being mobile-friendly since the vast majority of people are using mobile for search and that trend is supposed to only accelerate.
Mobile Factor
Takeaways
Google knows how people are using your site◦ And they know if people are finding what they’re
looking for or not◦ Especially with Chrome, they can see how many
pages people visit, how long they stay on the site, did they find what they’re looking for
◦ If not, then they’re back searching
◦All of this signals to Google that your site is not satisfying the consumer causing a lower page rank
Key Takeaways
Build sites for people – not search engines
A good experience is a must nowadays◦ See where people are most often exiting your site and
fix the page if it’s an issue
Use the suggestions in Webmaster Tools◦ Provides guidelines◦ Will crawl your site for potential issues and give
suggestions
Key Takeaways
Try doing your own user flow and bug tests◦ Get people to beta test your site◦ Use some tools
Xenu – Checks for broken links Webmaster Tools/Analytics Web Performance/LoadComplete – Load testing Open Site Explorer/Majestic SEO Tools – Inbound link
analysis
Key Takeaways
◦ http://www.searchenginejournal.com/two-examples-of-how-one-line-of-code-could-kill-your-seo-case-studies/37004/
◦ http://www.searchenginejournal.com/how-to-avoid-seo-disaster-during-a-website-redesign/
◦ http://usabilitygeek.com/4-ways-bad-ux-hurting-seo/
◦ http://moz.com/blog/ux-myths-that-hurt-seo-whiteboard-friday
References