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UI/UX and SEO
UI/UX Elements
SEO Performance
UI/UX importance for SEO
What is SXO
ARTICLE #16
UI/UX and SEO: A winning combination for higher rankings
UI/UX and SEO
UI/UX Elements
SEO Performance
UI/UX importance for SEO
What is SXO
Written by:
5 min read
Updated on: March 22, 2024
Toni Hukkanen
Head of Design
Creative Direction, Brand Direction
Toni Hukkanen
Head of Design
Creative Direction, Brand Direction
Toni Hukkanen
Head of Design
Creative Direction, Brand Direction
Today, search engine optimisation is more than just keywords, backlinks and other technical aspects. Google is shifting its algorithms towards user interests and experience, emphasising the importance of UI/UX design in website optimisation.
UI and UX have a direct impact on website performance, user engagement, and overall user satisfaction. Without them, you will push your visitors to competitors. In this detailed post, we will highlight the importance and influence of combining UI/UX design and SEO to increase search engine rankings.
Today, search engine optimisation is more than just keywords, backlinks and other technical aspects. Google is shifting its algorithms towards user interests and experience, emphasising the importance of UI/UX design in website optimisation.
UI and UX have a direct impact on website performance, user engagement, and overall user satisfaction. Without them, you will push your visitors to competitors. In this detailed post, we will highlight the importance and influence of combining UI/UX design and SEO to increase search engine rankings.
Today, search engine optimisation is more than just keywords, backlinks and other technical aspects. Google is shifting its algorithms towards user interests and experience, emphasising the importance of UI/UX design in website optimisation.
UI and UX have a direct impact on website performance, user engagement, and overall user satisfaction. Without them, you will push your visitors to competitors. In this detailed post, we will highlight the importance and influence of combining UI/UX design and SEO to increase search engine rankings.
Understanding UI/UX and SEO
Understanding UI/UX and SEO
Understanding UI/UX and SEO
Many believe SEO and UI/UX design are separate entities, but combining them creates a holistic approach that increases visibility and discoverability.
UI Design
UI design focuses on the visual aspects and layouts of websites. It is related to elements like colours, typography, navigation and design aesthetics. These elements create an engaging and visually appealing interface.
UX Design
UX design is based on the overall user journey and provides smooth and intuitive experiences. It also focuses on increasing usability, accessibility, and user satisfaction while interacting with the website.
SEO
SEO consists of techniques for optimising a website to increase its visibility in SERPs, relying on factors like keywords, content quality, and user engagement metrics.
Note: Though UI and UX are closely related and have the same goal of improving user interaction with the website, they have some differences in how they work. UI aims to design the visual appearance, while UX focuses on planning interface interaction and the steps needed to achieve a goal.
Many believe SEO and UI/UX design are separate entities, but combining them creates a holistic approach that increases visibility and discoverability.
UI Design
UI design focuses on the visual aspects and layouts of websites. It is related to elements like colours, typography, navigation and design aesthetics. These elements create an engaging and visually appealing interface.
UX Design
UX design is based on the overall user journey and provides smooth and intuitive experiences. It also focuses on increasing usability, accessibility, and user satisfaction while interacting with the website.
SEO
SEO consists of techniques for optimising a website to increase its visibility in SERPs, relying on factors like keywords, content quality, and user engagement metrics.
Note: Though UI and UX are closely related and have the same goal of improving user interaction with the website, they have some differences in how they work. UI aims to design the visual appearance, while UX focuses on planning interface interaction and the steps needed to achieve a goal.
Many believe SEO and UI/UX design are separate entities, but combining them creates a holistic approach that increases visibility and discoverability.
UI Design
UI design focuses on the visual aspects and layouts of websites. It is related to elements like colours, typography, navigation and design aesthetics. These elements create an engaging and visually appealing interface.
UX Design
UX design is based on the overall user journey and provides smooth and intuitive experiences. It also focuses on increasing usability, accessibility, and user satisfaction while interacting with the website.
SEO
SEO consists of techniques for optimising a website to increase its visibility in SERPs, relying on factors like keywords, content quality, and user engagement metrics.
Note: Though UI and UX are closely related and have the same goal of improving user interaction with the website, they have some differences in how they work. UI aims to design the visual appearance, while UX focuses on planning interface interaction and the steps needed to achieve a goal.
Why is UI/UX important for SEO?
It is important to optimize UI and UX because they both complement each other. If you want your website to move up in SERP you need to get them both right.
High-quality UI/UX increases the number of returning users, which leads to higher conversion rates and sales. It also increases the time a visitor spends on a website to let the crawler know that the site has solved the user's problem, which ultimately boosts rankings.
A website with good UI/UX reduces the time spent in networking the product by 50% while on development by 33 to 50%. Toptal designers reviewed some case studies of top agencies to understand the importance of UI/UX.
For example, Virgin America redesigned its site using UX principles, which resulted in a 14% increase in conversion rate, a 20% decrease in customer service calls, and nearly double the ticket booking speed.
Google prioritises delivering the best user experience, benefiting websites with great UX and allowing them to rank higher in search results. When a user quickly leaves a site due to poor UI/UX, search engines consider this an indication that the content or experience provided is not satisfactory. However, if a user spends more time on a website, explores multiple pages, and engages with its elements, it signals a positive user experience.
It is important to optimize UI and UX because they both complement each other. If you want your website to move up in SERP you need to get them both right.
High-quality UI/UX increases the number of returning users, which leads to higher conversion rates and sales. It also increases the time a visitor spends on a website to let the crawler know that the site has solved the user's problem, which ultimately boosts rankings.
A website with good UI/UX reduces the time spent in networking the product by 50% while on development by 33 to 50%. Toptal designers reviewed some case studies of top agencies to understand the importance of UI/UX.
For example, Virgin America redesigned its site using UX principles, which resulted in a 14% increase in conversion rate, a 20% decrease in customer service calls, and nearly double the ticket booking speed.
Google prioritises delivering the best user experience, benefiting websites with great UX and allowing them to rank higher in search results. When a user quickly leaves a site due to poor UI/UX, search engines consider this an indication that the content or experience provided is not satisfactory. However, if a user spends more time on a website, explores multiple pages, and engages with its elements, it signals a positive user experience.
It is important to optimize UI and UX because they both complement each other. If you want your website to move up in SERP you need to get them both right.
High-quality UI/UX increases the number of returning users, which leads to higher conversion rates and sales. It also increases the time a visitor spends on a website to let the crawler know that the site has solved the user's problem, which ultimately boosts rankings.
A website with good UI/UX reduces the time spent in networking the product by 50% while on development by 33 to 50%. Toptal designers reviewed some case studies of top agencies to understand the importance of UI/UX.
For example, Virgin America redesigned its site using UX principles, which resulted in a 14% increase in conversion rate, a 20% decrease in customer service calls, and nearly double the ticket booking speed.
Google prioritises delivering the best user experience, benefiting websites with great UX and allowing them to rank higher in search results. When a user quickly leaves a site due to poor UI/UX, search engines consider this an indication that the content or experience provided is not satisfactory. However, if a user spends more time on a website, explores multiple pages, and engages with its elements, it signals a positive user experience.
How does UI/UX design impact your Website SEO?
UI/UX and SEO share a primary objective of creating websites that are efficient for user needs. When a website is evaluated for its performance, search engine algorithms don't just focus on technical elements but also analyse interactions with it to monitor the user experience it offers. Here are some of the impacts of UI/UX on a website’s SEO.
Page load speed
It is clearly mentioned in Google's developer guidelines on Core Web Vitals that page speed is one of the most important ranking factors. If the first input takes longer than 100 milliseconds to load, it means the page doesn't meet good UX guidelines. You can also enhance your website speed by optimising code, images, and lazy loading. Try to minimise CSS, JavaScript, and HTML code.
Mobile-first indexing
Google prefers the mobile version of website content when crawling, indexing and ranking pages. Mobile-first indexing is enabled by default for all new websites. Therefore, it is compulsory to ensure mobile pages have the same quality content as desktop pages to maintain rankings.
You can make a website mobile-friendly with a responsive web design by serving the same HTML code on the URL regardless of the user's device. You can create two versions of content for desktop and mobile. Optimise the mobile UX with a design such as accordions or tabs, but make sure the content is the same.
You also need to check visual content, such as images and videos. They must follow Google's image and video best practices. Avoid using images with small sizes and low resolutions. Use the same alt text for desktop and mobile site images.
UX writing and intent
A copy featured on your website is an important aspect of UX. It guides users through the website and affects the duration of engagement.
Google directs users to your website through SERPs so they can find the information they are looking for. If your website copy is effective, users will find it easier to navigate, which will lead to conversions.
For best results, use plain and clear language, use active voice, avoid jargon, and write short sentences for UX writing.
Site architecture and navigation
Your website's architecture refers to the organisation and linking of pages. If your website has good architecture, Google will easily find and scan your web pages in terms of SEO. From a UI/UX perspective, it will help users quickly find the information they need.
Studies show that 94% of respondents find website architecture and ease of navigation as the major features of a website. It highlights the importance of investing time and effort into building a website that is easy to use.
To optimise your website architecture, create a transparent structure and group pages into categories. Design a straightforward menu to describe a website's topics and subtopics. Establish a well-optimized link structure for balanced link juice distribution.
Layout and design
A well-designed layout also has a direct influence on visitor behaviour and SEO promotion. With the layout, users can easily find the right information, comprehend it, and make the desired decision. Search bots can also assess the relevance of a page through structured content.
Though you can use as many H1 headings as you want on a page, we recommend using one. Follow the hierarchy of headings and avoid using H1 below H2. Optimise images and graphic elements with alt tags for UX.
UI/UX and SEO share a primary objective of creating websites that are efficient for user needs. When a website is evaluated for its performance, search engine algorithms don't just focus on technical elements but also analyse interactions with it to monitor the user experience it offers. Here are some of the impacts of UI/UX on a website’s SEO.
Page load speed
It is clearly mentioned in Google's developer guidelines on Core Web Vitals that page speed is one of the most important ranking factors. If the first input takes longer than 100 milliseconds to load, it means the page doesn't meet good UX guidelines. You can also enhance your website speed by optimising code, images, and lazy loading. Try to minimise CSS, JavaScript, and HTML code.
Mobile-first indexing
Google prefers the mobile version of website content when crawling, indexing and ranking pages. Mobile-first indexing is enabled by default for all new websites. Therefore, it is compulsory to ensure mobile pages have the same quality content as desktop pages to maintain rankings.
You can make a website mobile-friendly with a responsive web design by serving the same HTML code on the URL regardless of the user's device. You can create two versions of content for desktop and mobile. Optimise the mobile UX with a design such as accordions or tabs, but make sure the content is the same.
You also need to check visual content, such as images and videos. They must follow Google's image and video best practices. Avoid using images with small sizes and low resolutions. Use the same alt text for desktop and mobile site images.
UX writing and intent
A copy featured on your website is an important aspect of UX. It guides users through the website and affects the duration of engagement.
Google directs users to your website through SERPs so they can find the information they are looking for. If your website copy is effective, users will find it easier to navigate, which will lead to conversions.
For best results, use plain and clear language, use active voice, avoid jargon, and write short sentences for UX writing.
Site architecture and navigation
Your website's architecture refers to the organisation and linking of pages. If your website has good architecture, Google will easily find and scan your web pages in terms of SEO. From a UI/UX perspective, it will help users quickly find the information they need.
Studies show that 94% of respondents find website architecture and ease of navigation as the major features of a website. It highlights the importance of investing time and effort into building a website that is easy to use.
To optimise your website architecture, create a transparent structure and group pages into categories. Design a straightforward menu to describe a website's topics and subtopics. Establish a well-optimized link structure for balanced link juice distribution.
Layout and design
A well-designed layout also has a direct influence on visitor behaviour and SEO promotion. With the layout, users can easily find the right information, comprehend it, and make the desired decision. Search bots can also assess the relevance of a page through structured content.
Though you can use as many H1 headings as you want on a page, we recommend using one. Follow the hierarchy of headings and avoid using H1 below H2. Optimise images and graphic elements with alt tags for UX.
UI/UX and SEO share a primary objective of creating websites that are efficient for user needs. When a website is evaluated for its performance, search engine algorithms don't just focus on technical elements but also analyse interactions with it to monitor the user experience it offers. Here are some of the impacts of UI/UX on a website’s SEO.
Page load speed
It is clearly mentioned in Google's developer guidelines on Core Web Vitals that page speed is one of the most important ranking factors. If the first input takes longer than 100 milliseconds to load, it means the page doesn't meet good UX guidelines. You can also enhance your website speed by optimising code, images, and lazy loading. Try to minimise CSS, JavaScript, and HTML code.
Mobile-first indexing
Google prefers the mobile version of website content when crawling, indexing and ranking pages. Mobile-first indexing is enabled by default for all new websites. Therefore, it is compulsory to ensure mobile pages have the same quality content as desktop pages to maintain rankings.
You can make a website mobile-friendly with a responsive web design by serving the same HTML code on the URL regardless of the user's device. You can create two versions of content for desktop and mobile. Optimise the mobile UX with a design such as accordions or tabs, but make sure the content is the same.
You also need to check visual content, such as images and videos. They must follow Google's image and video best practices. Avoid using images with small sizes and low resolutions. Use the same alt text for desktop and mobile site images.
UX writing and intent
A copy featured on your website is an important aspect of UX. It guides users through the website and affects the duration of engagement.
Google directs users to your website through SERPs so they can find the information they are looking for. If your website copy is effective, users will find it easier to navigate, which will lead to conversions.
For best results, use plain and clear language, use active voice, avoid jargon, and write short sentences for UX writing.
Site architecture and navigation
Your website's architecture refers to the organisation and linking of pages. If your website has good architecture, Google will easily find and scan your web pages in terms of SEO. From a UI/UX perspective, it will help users quickly find the information they need.
Studies show that 94% of respondents find website architecture and ease of navigation as the major features of a website. It highlights the importance of investing time and effort into building a website that is easy to use.
To optimise your website architecture, create a transparent structure and group pages into categories. Design a straightforward menu to describe a website's topics and subtopics. Establish a well-optimized link structure for balanced link juice distribution.
Layout and design
A well-designed layout also has a direct influence on visitor behaviour and SEO promotion. With the layout, users can easily find the right information, comprehend it, and make the desired decision. Search bots can also assess the relevance of a page through structured content.
Though you can use as many H1 headings as you want on a page, we recommend using one. Follow the hierarchy of headings and avoid using H1 below H2. Optimise images and graphic elements with alt tags for UX.
Practical applications of UI/UX design and SEO
UI/UX and SEO help organisations increase user engagement and improve search engine rankings. Let's go through some case studies that perfectly show how the convergence of UI/UX and SEO leads to higher conversions.
YouTube
YouTube's User Interface provides users with a smooth experience in navigating a continuous stream of videos. The visuals and layout keep users engaged for longer periods, highlighting the importance of UI/UX in user retention.
Features like autoplay, personalised recommendations, and an easy-to-use video upload process are great examples of UX. Those videos are also optimised with SEO practices such as titles, descriptions, and tags to improve their visibility.
Airbnb
Airbnb has certain SEO strategies to ensure search engine visibility for search terms like “places to stay in New York.” The UI/UX makes it easy to find and book these places.
The site's clean and minimalistic design, mobile responsiveness, and fast loading speed are all major factors. Keyword usage in URLs, titles, descriptions, clear CTAs, and user-generated reviews are also signs of its success.
Apple
Apple's website is another great example of SEO and UI/UX working together. The simple design and engaging interaction make it easy for users to find relevant information.
Features like comparison, detailed product pages, and an efficient checkout process highlight great user experience. In terms of SEO, Apple optimises product pages with relevant keywords, high-quality images, user reviews, and detailed product descriptions.
UI/UX and SEO help organisations increase user engagement and improve search engine rankings. Let's go through some case studies that perfectly show how the convergence of UI/UX and SEO leads to higher conversions.
YouTube
YouTube's User Interface provides users with a smooth experience in navigating a continuous stream of videos. The visuals and layout keep users engaged for longer periods, highlighting the importance of UI/UX in user retention.
Features like autoplay, personalised recommendations, and an easy-to-use video upload process are great examples of UX. Those videos are also optimised with SEO practices such as titles, descriptions, and tags to improve their visibility.
Airbnb
Airbnb has certain SEO strategies to ensure search engine visibility for search terms like “places to stay in New York.” The UI/UX makes it easy to find and book these places.
The site's clean and minimalistic design, mobile responsiveness, and fast loading speed are all major factors. Keyword usage in URLs, titles, descriptions, clear CTAs, and user-generated reviews are also signs of its success.
Apple
Apple's website is another great example of SEO and UI/UX working together. The simple design and engaging interaction make it easy for users to find relevant information.
Features like comparison, detailed product pages, and an efficient checkout process highlight great user experience. In terms of SEO, Apple optimises product pages with relevant keywords, high-quality images, user reviews, and detailed product descriptions.
UI/UX and SEO help organisations increase user engagement and improve search engine rankings. Let's go through some case studies that perfectly show how the convergence of UI/UX and SEO leads to higher conversions.
YouTube
YouTube's User Interface provides users with a smooth experience in navigating a continuous stream of videos. The visuals and layout keep users engaged for longer periods, highlighting the importance of UI/UX in user retention.
Features like autoplay, personalised recommendations, and an easy-to-use video upload process are great examples of UX. Those videos are also optimised with SEO practices such as titles, descriptions, and tags to improve their visibility.
Airbnb
Airbnb has certain SEO strategies to ensure search engine visibility for search terms like “places to stay in New York.” The UI/UX makes it easy to find and book these places.
The site's clean and minimalistic design, mobile responsiveness, and fast loading speed are all major factors. Keyword usage in URLs, titles, descriptions, clear CTAs, and user-generated reviews are also signs of its success.
Apple
Apple's website is another great example of SEO and UI/UX working together. The simple design and engaging interaction make it easy for users to find relevant information.
Features like comparison, detailed product pages, and an efficient checkout process highlight great user experience. In terms of SEO, Apple optimises product pages with relevant keywords, high-quality images, user reviews, and detailed product descriptions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SXO?
Search experience optimisation, or SXO, is a concept that combines the principles of UX and SEO to affect rankings and user interaction. The goal of SXO is to create websites that attract search engines and users.
What are the elements of UI/UX that can improve SEO performance?
The key elements of UI/UX that can improve SEO performance include a mobile-friendly website, easy navigation, fast loading speed, responsive design, relevant and well-structured content pages, and clear CTAs. Other elements can also improve user experience and ensure higher rankings.
How can UX improve SEO?
SEO plays a major role in attracting traffic to your website, but UX ensures that traffic stays on your website longer. UX allows you to engage leads and increase their interest and dwell time on your page. If leads spend more time on the page, it reduces the bounce rate and sends a signal to Google that your page is valuable and relevant to your audience.
Final Thoughts
Once a user visits your website, their decision to stay or leave is made within seconds. If your website doesn't meet their expectations by not aligning their search query, loading slowly, looking unappealing, or being difficult to use, the user will leave. So, it is a must to provide a rich user experience and SEO to encourage users to stay on your website longer and actively engage with its content. Google's search bot will consider it a quality signal and reward your website with top rankings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SXO?
Search experience optimisation, or SXO, is a concept that combines the principles of UX and SEO to affect rankings and user interaction. The goal of SXO is to create websites that attract search engines and users.
What are the elements of UI/UX that can improve SEO performance?
The key elements of UI/UX that can improve SEO performance include a mobile-friendly website, easy navigation, fast loading speed, responsive design, relevant and well-structured content pages, and clear CTAs. Other elements can also improve user experience and ensure higher rankings.
How can UX improve SEO?
SEO plays a major role in attracting traffic to your website, but UX ensures that traffic stays on your website longer. UX allows you to engage leads and increase their interest and dwell time on your page. If leads spend more time on the page, it reduces the bounce rate and sends a signal to Google that your page is valuable and relevant to your audience.
Final Thoughts
Once a user visits your website, their decision to stay or leave is made within seconds. If your website doesn't meet their expectations by not aligning their search query, loading slowly, looking unappealing, or being difficult to use, the user will leave. So, it is a must to provide a rich user experience and SEO to encourage users to stay on your website longer and actively engage with its content. Google's search bot will consider it a quality signal and reward your website with top rankings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SXO?
Search experience optimisation, or SXO, is a concept that combines the principles of UX and SEO to affect rankings and user interaction. The goal of SXO is to create websites that attract search engines and users.
What are the elements of UI/UX that can improve SEO performance?
The key elements of UI/UX that can improve SEO performance include a mobile-friendly website, easy navigation, fast loading speed, responsive design, relevant and well-structured content pages, and clear CTAs. Other elements can also improve user experience and ensure higher rankings.
How can UX improve SEO?
SEO plays a major role in attracting traffic to your website, but UX ensures that traffic stays on your website longer. UX allows you to engage leads and increase their interest and dwell time on your page. If leads spend more time on the page, it reduces the bounce rate and sends a signal to Google that your page is valuable and relevant to your audience.
Final Thoughts
Once a user visits your website, their decision to stay or leave is made within seconds. If your website doesn't meet their expectations by not aligning their search query, loading slowly, looking unappealing, or being difficult to use, the user will leave. So, it is a must to provide a rich user experience and SEO to encourage users to stay on your website longer and actively engage with its content. Google's search bot will consider it a quality signal and reward your website with top rankings.
ARTICLE #16
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