Website design and search engine optimization (SEO) fit like a hand in a glove. Which means that website design and the words communicated (e.g., keywords) affect website ranking, either for good or ill. When design and marketing do not work closely together, a company’s website ranking will be adversely affected. Websites and their designers need to be aware of the importance that SEO working in concert with design has on their brand.

What makes a great website? There are three factors to keep in mind when incorporating SEO into your website design.

1. Searchability. Search engine companies give priority to users who search on the company’s platform. They want return customers the same as a business does. A search engine who has more visitors will, in turn, have more advertisers and thus increased profits. Website design that focuses on SEO will be more searchable, which translates to more potential customers. A higher rank naturally brings more visitors than does a website that is ranked on page 3 or 4 of a search engine.
   
   
2. Linkability. Search engines index content in order to be discovered. If links to your content are inoperable or broken, your website will be discovered less often because of its lower rank. You want your website’s structure to be user-friendly and usable, which means that visitors can navigate your site with ease, and they’ll be able to link to content without a hitch because the links are fully operable. You’ll want the website’s most vital content to be the most accessible and found the quickest. You want your visitors to exert the least amount of effort in finding the content that communicates your brand best.
   
   
3. Quality. SEO depends on quality. Your site needs more than a smattering of keywords, it’ll need the high-level content. Each page of your website should serve a preordained purpose. What do visitors need to know? Will the content communicate effectively?

You will want to know the answers to these questions in the planning stages of your website design. You do not want content placement and quality to be an afterthought.

Companies do well to understand and incorporate SEO best practices into website design. You have quality content, but is it accessible? Can visitors can find you on their desktops but not on their mobile devices? If you’ve asked yourself, “Why is SEO important?” Now you know. Incorporating SEO best practices and website design can boost your website’s ranking and increase the reach of your brand.