I was recently a fly on the wall of a Zoom call between a client of mine and their SEO expert. Their website design is gorgeous, but the problem is that it’s underperforming.
Their search engine rankings are falling, and they aren’t getting as many lead conversions as they should. With a few SEO, design, and content tweaks and improvements, which I’ll be pitching in to help with, their website should float higher on search engine result pages (SERPs).
Here are some key takeaways from that conversation and tips on marrying form and function so your website can rank higher on Google.
Design Your Website to Rank Higher with Google
3. What’s the Next Step? Calls-to-Action
4. Your Footer, It Ain’t the Bottom of the Barrel.
5. Be a Good Human. Create High-Quality Content.
Navigation: Make It Easy
Improve your user experience (UX) by making it easy to navigate from top to bottom.
The bottom line is Google ranks pages higher if the user experience is good. So, your website should be simple and intuitive so users can easily find what they’re looking for right away.
But Jessica Cornwall, an SEO expert at Flat Rock Landing, LLC, says it’s more nuanced.
“Google ranks pages with good user experience (UX) higher for two primary reasons.
1. It wants site visitors to get what they came for when they visit your site. “A good UX leads to engaged session traffic and multiple GA4 events being triggered. If Google gets it right, users will keep engaging with its search engine and returning for more.” Jessica explains that if your content isn't helpful, users will bounce, regardless of the links Google provides. It’s only a matter of time before they search somewhere else, like ChatGPT.
“So yes, UX is important. But it’s all about showing Google that you provide ‘helpful content.’ Their current core algorithm prioritizes this — referred to as the HCU (Helpful Content Update).”
2. Google likes good UX, which means organizing your information in a way that is easy to find, read, and understand.
Jessica says that’s “because good navigation for humans is also good for Google. The faster their spiders can navigate a clear pathway with a clear site map so they can ‘understand’ who you are and what value you have for their customers, the better they’ll know where to stick you and what queries they should offer your content up for. If you confuse the spiders, Google will serve up the wrong links when a user types in a query. The user then disengages when they can’t find what they want. That’s bad for GOOGLE and you.”
In other words, bad UX will be penalized with lower search engine rankings, and Google will stop taking chances on your content.
Think of it like the Hogwarts Castle in the Harry Potter movies. Jessica explains, “In the top part of the castle, there’s Dumbledore, the headmaster in the highest tower, the professors in the middle, Filch and the cooks at the bottom, and Tom Riddle in the Chamber of Secrets beneath the castle or in the dungeon.” So it builds out like this—
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- Your home page (“means the most to you,” so it means the most to them. (Dumbledore)
- What you place in your main nav means the second most. (The Professors)
- What you put in a layered nav with additional drop-downs means less. (Filch)
- Orphaned means the least. (Tom Riddle)
“They are looking for YOU to tell them what is important and who you are. Then, they will verify it and punish you if you try to trick your way into site traffic. But they ‘ask’ you to TELL them first.” says Jessica. “If you don’t tell them, they’ll still try to figure you out, but it’s a bigger risk on their part if they get it wrong.”
Add Sub Navigation
If you offer several services, create a page for each service and divide it into subcategories. A sub-nav is just a way of simplifying user engagement and “telling Google” what you care about most.
My Log and Timber Worx friends make it easy for folks to find exactly what they need. Under services, they’ve listed:
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- Log Wash
- Safe Chemical Stripping
- Glass Media Blasting
- Log Home Maintenance: Caulking and Sealing
- Chinking
- Wood Preservation Services
- Restore a Deck
- Log Home Stain & Application
- Interior Log Cabin Maintenance
Log and Timber Worx is a great example of how to sub categorize your services and setup a structure for your subnavigation. Please note I did not design this website.categorize your services and set
What’s the Next Step? Calls-To Action
Another key to designing your website is to tell the user exactly what you want them to do next.
My friends at Big Waves, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing gun violence, want to bring in donations to fund their mission. So, the “donate” button is in every page’s upper right corner.
Big Waves puts their button in the main navigation bar in the upper right corner. The “donate” button appears on every page so that it's easy for their community to make a donation no matter where they are in the website.
At Log and Timber Solutions, a log home restoration business in North Carolina, they placed their CTA (call-to-action) “above the fold” on their home page.
Above the fold is an old advertising term originally referring to the top half of a newspaper or ad. Below the fold means anything underneath it or on the web page that your user needs to scroll to see. Usually, the less critical content was placed below the fold.
They also put a sticky “Get a Free” estimate button in the bottom right corner. It’s sticky because it moves with you. It doesn’t matter where you’re on the page; in this case, it stays there no matter what website page you’re on.
Log and Timber Solutions places not one but two calls to action ”above the fold”: Call Today! and Get a FREE estimate. This makes it easy for users to find what they need right away and increases their chances of bringing in leads. Please note I did not design this site.
Log and Timber Solutions “Get a FREE Estimate” is sticky to the web page; in other words, as the user scrolls, the button moves with them, constantly reminding them to click for an estimate while they read.
Be a Good Human. Create High-Quality Content
Creating high-quality content that converts is like dating. You have to show you’re trustworthy, know who you are, and who you’re for so you can stand out from the rest of the fish in the sea, start the conversation, and finally make a connection.
Show Social Proof
The best dates are usually ones where you were introduced through a mutual connection. The nice thing is you don’t have to jump through all the hoops of proving you’re not a slimeball and are a trustworthy option. You have built-in social proof.
High-converting homepages include social proof. You can build trust by showcasing:
- Testimonials
- Google reviews
- Client or customer logos
- PR mentions
- Affiliations
- Certifications
- Company stats
- Years of experience
Log and Timber Solutions touts expertise by listing their 50+ years of combined experience. It removes doubt from their customers’ minds that they are the “log home experts.”
Log and Timber Solutions gives us a good example of showing social proof if you don't have any testimonials to pull from yet.
Know Who You Are & Who You’re For
When your audience lands on your page, they should know who you are, what you do, who you do it for, and how it will benefit them. In other words––
I/we do (this) for (these people) so they can (the amazing way their life or business will change).
Ok, check. Now, what do you do?
Strike Up a Conversation
I picture bland content like a lousy conversation on a date. It’s one of those guys who spew out what they think you want to hear and have no opinion. You ask questions, they give short answers, and the conversation stalls.
(Insert awkward silence here.)
Then, they drone on and on about themselves and never ask you any questions. Or they only ask you a question so they can tell you their story.
Instead, be a sigma date and let your personality shine. Your content should have a tone and personality all its own.
Pro Tip: Don’t copy and paste AI content without a human buffer. It could hurt your Google rankings.
Connect with Your Audience
Focus on solving your customers’ problems. What did they come to your website for in the first place? Was it to help them restore their log home to its former glory? Was it to find a window to help them save money on their energy bills? Are they looking for more sustainable products?
Be sure to follow Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines, which stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, to improve your ranking. Google judges your pages based on the page’s credibility, author, and website.
Invite Everyone to the Party
Make It Mobile-Friendly
A good party hostess makes everyone feel welcome and included
A mobile-friendly website ensures every visitor has a smooth and pleasant experience regardless of their device.
Website Accessibility
If we’re going to throw a killer party, we should also be aware of everyone’s needs. We want everyone to have a good time, which means making your website accessible to those with disabilities, too.
Michael Husson, an expert in website accessibility, adds, “Lighthouse in Chrome DevTools can find many accessibility issues, but it’s a good habit to keep users with disabilities in mind throughout the initial design process – and it will help your Google ranking too!”
Easy-to-implement practices include adding alt text to describe images (more later) and increasing text color contrast. Try navigating your website completely by keyboard (tab, shift+tab, arrows) as a person with complete loss of sight does.
Zoom! Zoom! Page Speeds
If your website takes 10 seconds to load, you lose your audience. Use plugins like WP Rocket to make your website page speeds Zoom. Or contact your SEO expert to see what improvements you can make to your JavaScript, CSS, and image optimization.
If Your Website Looks Good, Your Brand Looks Good
High-quality images and videos catch your users’ attention, and they’ll linger longer on your site.
Nail down your design aesthetic and branding. Pay to have a logo professionally designed and high-quality images and video content. You’ll look more professional and be able to command the value of your products and services.
Make sure your logo is placed in the navigation bar at the top left or front and center. Then, link it back to your homepage from other pages on the website.
Are you curious about what the web design process looks like? Click here.
Title Hierarchy
My client’s SEO expert identified several keywords their nonprofit audience has been searching for. They plan to update their H1 and H2 meta tags and descriptions with those keywords. Formatting the text this way makes it easier for people to skim for the information they need and for Google to find and categorize it.
Other Considerations
Keyword Optimization
Meanwhile, we’ll incorporate these keywords into the body copy for the new service pages we’re setting up. Heed my warning: don’t stuff your content full of keywords. That’s bad form.
We need to write and design human and helpful content; otherwise, it could do more harm than good. If you’re looking to DIY your keyword research, check out this article by Semrush, SEO Keywords, and How to Find Them.
HTTPS
Always protect all your websites with HTTPS, even if they don’t handle sensitive communications, and provide critical security and data integrity for your websites and users’ personal information.
Your Work is Never Done
If your head is spinning and you feel a bit overwhelmed, remember the most important thing you need to know about Designing Your Webpage to Rank Higher on Google is this—
Algorithms change, and people’s interests evolve. Monitor your SEO and rankings to see what’s working and what isn’t and change with the times.
Hire a professional front-end web designer who can work these smart SEO design strategies into your website, as well as an SEO expert like Jessica. Doing so will increase your chances of being found by your people so you can sell more products and get found by the right people.
Do you need help designing marketing that grabs your customers' attention and engages them?
Give us a holler and schedule a complimentary 30-minute Discovery call, we’d love to help you reach your customers and sell more products.