SEO has evolved over the years through the course of many algorithm updates. The days of keyword-cramming strategies are over. And it’s not just about content, but also how you design your site that can affect your SEO rankings. Here are some tips to get your SEO rankings up through the right web design practices.

Content and design go hand in hand

Many businesses make the mistake of working on their website design first, and then the content strategy. A strong website design is no doubt important for your business to make a good impact on visitors.

However, without a strong content to accompany it, visitors will probably move on to the next site they can find. Focusing on your content and web design efforts from the start will help structure your site as a well-rounded content publishing platform- one that sports a clean design and has informative/ interesting content. This in turn translates to good SEO rankings.

Easy to navigate

Some businesses like to get creative with their web design layouts, and while it’s not a bad thing, and can bring in that wow factor to your site, it can also work against it. If the quirks and creative elements in your website design make it difficult for site visitors to navigate or find things on your site, then you have a problem.

Most visitors will not take the trouble to stick around on a site that is not easy to navigate, and that could mean high bounce rates for your site. Google is quick to notice bounce rates while ranking sites, so if you want your site to rank well, then you may want to play it safe sometimes.

Of course, there is always room to be creative and original with the visuals on the site, but as far as the navigation goes, you want to go by the book.

Responsive design

Google has been emphasizing mobile-friendliness of sites for a while now. In fact, it recently announced that starting May 2016, mobile-friendliness will be given increased priority in the search engine rankings.

Businesses that do not have a responsive design for their site yet, should get going about now.

Given the number of users who access sites through smartphones and tablets, businesses which do not have a mobile-friendly site are missing out on some serious opportunity.

A responsive design naturally detects the size of the device, and auto-fits the page for hassle-free interaction, supporting better visitor retention, and SEO ranking.