Web Design and SEO - Do they really go hand in
hand?
Published: 24th January 2006
Many web designers claim their creations to be fully ‘SEO-Ready’.
But does this buzzword actually have any meaning and, if so, just how exactly
do web design and SEO fit together?
To answer this question, the term SEO (Search Engine
Optimisation) must first be broken down into its two components;
onsite optimisation and offsite promotion.
- Onsite Optimisation
This aspect specifically refers to any work which is
carried out on the web site itself.
It includes W3C compliance, high-quality unique content,
site structure, file & folder names and a number
of other important factors.
- Offsite Promotion
Any promotional task which is separate to web design
and site creation falls into this category.
Offsite promotion includes link-building, forum and
ezine marketing, press releases and a few other means
of ‘spreading the word’ about your site
on the internet.
Once you separate these two approaches you realise that
web design and SEO are inextricably linked by the fact
that the promotional process starts the moment your web
designer first begins work on your project.
The term ‘SEO-Ready’ then, is simply a techie
way of saying: “We’ve carried out all the
onsite work we can and it’s ready to be promoted
online.”
In most cases however, designers fail to take into consideration
one essential component of onsite optimisation; high-quality
content.
It is a fact that the best site design in the world is
of little value without an abundance of well-written,
informative and above all unique content and whilst many
designers are able to optimise a web site’s code
and structure to the hilt, few can boast the ability to
create top-quality editorial content.
Indeed, it is within the realm of site content that web
design and SEO most frequently meet, as a designer’s
client (if he or she has done their homework) will most
likely delegate the task of content creation to a professional
web copywriter.
But aside from the copywriting aspect, is there really
any need to pay a Search Engine Optimisation company for
their (sometimes extravagantly priced) services?
This is another meeting ground for web design and SEO.
Since most Optimisation companies will charge a premium
for code cleaning services, that is to say having to
go in and clean up someone else’s mess before
being able to promote a site effectively, it pays to
make sure your web developer is able to produce a first-class
product which not only meets the World Wide Web Consortium’s
(W3C) standards, but search engine quality guidelines
as well.
Better still from a client’s point of view is taking
the time to find a design studio which not only produces
great web sites, but can also promote them effectively
in the online arena.
Although such companies are few and far between, they
do offer the only true marriage between web design and
SEO.
Web Design and SEO need to be considered as a whole
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