Table Of Contents
- What are the most common web design mistakes that negatively impact SEO?
- Why should you not use splash pages?
- Why should you not add frames to your website design?
- Why is using Images instead of important Elements a bad idea?
- Why should you add breadcrumbs to your website design?
- Are pop-ups bad for SEO?
- Why should you not neglect the navigation standards?
One of the first things you should ask yourself while building a website is, "Should I focus more on a wonderful design and user experience or search engine optimization of the website?"
This comparison may appear irrational at first, but keep in mind that there have been numerous instances where an amazing animation design has had a detrimental impact on a website's SEO. While it is natural to anticipate a well-designed website to increase and retain visitors, you must be realistic enough to recognize that just a ‘good-looking’ website is not the end result that you should look for.
Most website designers avoid SEO because it "restricts their aesthetic potential." But the point is that for the sake of optimization, there is no need to eliminate all design characteristics but align SEO requirements with the design direction that you are going to take.
Designers should collaborate with SEO experts and web developers to establish a balance that satisfies both user preferences and search engine standards.
Furthermore, there is a typical pitfall that we must avoid while bridging the gap between design and SEO. Websites that are SEO-friendly but are undergoing a major redesign must be closely monitored, since the impending overhaul may harm the website's SEO.
What exactly are these website design flaws that impact SEO? The following are eight of the typical blunders made by web designers.
1. Splash Pages
Splash screens are a fun addition to any website, but they can also operate as a barrier between search engines and your website. Search engine spiders frequently devalue or overlook non-textual items such as Flash and Java applets. Search engines will not favor a homepage with no content or navigation because it results in incorrect indexing of the full website.
It is better not to add splash pages at all but if a splash page is really necessary, what you can do is that you can add a lot of textual material to the body of the page.
2. Too Much Flash
Surprisingly, frames are still used in the design of some websites. Aside from the fact that they are no longer relevant, they will not assist you in improving your website's search engine optimization. Search engines will have a tough time finding all of the useful content on your site if you employ frames. It's worth noting that framed websites employ three HTML files instead of one, resulting in a slew of indexing issues.
3. Using Frames
Surprisingly, frames are still used in the design of some websites. Aside from the fact that they are no longer relevant, they will not assist you in improving your website's search engine optimization. Search engines will have a tough time finding all of the useful content on your site if you employ frames. It's worth noting that framed websites employ three HTML files instead of one, resulting in a slew of indexing issues.
4. Using Images Instead of Important Elements
Images used as the primary mode of navigation will be flagged by search engines even if they have no practical use. Navigation by pure text, on the other hand, is not a good habit. What is the solution? It’s Simple, use text-over-image approaches with CSS.
When using headers, it's also not a good idea to use photos. It may seem great if the content is substituted with stunning images with text, but it will not help with SEO. Because header language is supposed to draw attention to the most significant terms, using graphics instead will detract from the entire content.
5. Lack of Breadcrumbs
A well-managed breadcrumb trail matrix will dramatically improve your website’s search engine performance. Text links are not only easy for search engines to understand, but they also create a clear hierarchical navigation structure.
It so happens that the designers often overlook breadcrumbs, even though they significantly improve a website's user-friendliness.
6. Pop-Ups
For starters, pop-ups are frowned upon by everyone, not just by visitors but also by the designers and even the search engines. They're inconvenient, and most users close them as soon as they... appear. Furthermore, they quickly elicit negative feelings about the page, and search engines do not index them as part of the website. It's safe to say that, for everyone's sake, it's better to forget about pop-ups forever.
7. Improper 404 Error Page
Adding a custom 404 error page to your website is always a fun way to inject some humor. However, this need for originality may lead to the disregard of more important elements, such as the link for returning back to the website.
Be very careful while using 404 error pages otherwise, search engines will flag your website as having broken internal links, which will lower its search rankings.
8. Neglecting the Navigation Standards
There are definitely a few designers out there who think that making an overly complicated website with no conventional navigation components or footer links will attract users and make them feel distinctive and unique. However, this is regrettable. For both visitors and search engines, well-organized navigation for the website is crucial.
If you don't use creativity and don’t align it systematically, it'll lead to a bad internal linking structure, hurting your ranks and reputation. The global navigation bar must be visible on every page; otherwise, people may become disoriented while browsing the website.
Generally, all of the aforementioned errors are the result of one fundamental issue: focusing solely on the visual aspect and leaving the vital SEO criteria for once a website's design is complete.
Also read: How to Make SEO and Web Design Work Together?
SEO must be considered while deciding the design elements. Even if a designer creates great artwork, it is ultimately worthless if it cannot be found. An SEO expert who is brought in early in the design phase can help you save a lot of money by ensuring that everything is done correctly the first time.
This is it for today’s blog. I hope you liked reading it and that you’ve learned a thing or two about keeping the website’s design SEO-friendly. Do share your thoughts with me and reach out to me if you have any questions or comments.
If you are a business owner who wants an SEO-friendly website that ranks well on search engines, contact Prism Digital, the best SEO agency in Dubai and our SEO experts will create tailored strategies to rank your website on top SERPs, where all the magic happens. See you on the other side. Thank you.
About The Author: Lovetto Nazareth
Lovetto Nazareth is a digital marketing consultant and agency owner of Prism Digital. He has been in the advertising and digital marketing business for the last 2 decades and has managed thousands of campaigns and generated millions of dollars of new leads. He is an avid adventure sports enthusiast and a singer-songwriter. Follow him on social media on @Lovetto Nazareth