Search Engine Optimization SEO Blog

SEO & Web Design

More and more business owners have realized that search engine optimization (SEO) is a powerful online strategy. When compared to traditional print ads or TV commercials, search engine optimization is much more cost-effective in bringing in more quality leads and sales. If done right, SEO can make it easy for millions of internet users find your products or services through popular search engines like Google and Yahoo.

However, not many business owners have realized that SEO should not be considered an after-thought of web design. SEO can only reach its maximal effect when it is built into web design. If you want to build an energy-efficient house, would you start by building the house the traditional way without considering energy efficiency? Of course not! If you did, you would likely have to do some serious remodeling work after the house is built. That can be very costly. Same goes for SEO and web design. If you start building a website without taking SEO into consideration, you may have to make major changes in the website structure, navigation, coding, layout, etc. Such changes can be very costly. Some websites can't be optimized unless they are completely rebuilt.

The close relationship between SEO and web design makes it absolutely necessary for business owners to hire a web design team that is knowledgeable in SEO. This can be a challenge because the majority of web designers do not specialize in SEO. Many web designers or design companies can build a professional-looking website, but these websites can't be understood by search engines because search engines don't read websites the way we read websites. Very often what looks very pleasing to our eyes can be very confusing to search engines.

How do you avoid hiring a web design company that is clueless about search engine optimization? One way to avoid such a costly mistake is to ask the web design company's SEO experience. Also ask search engine ranking examples of the sites they build. If you can find your web design company through search engines using some generic keyword phrase, such as "Twin Cities Web Design", you won't go terribly wrong. However, if you can't find the web design company through keyword searches, chances are that the company does not specialize in SEO. Just because a web design company market itself as an SEO expert doesn't make it so.

posted by Terry at Permanent Link