The Role of User Experience (UX) in Small Business SEO

You may have heard this metaphor before that, in today’s age, your website is essentially the bread and butter of your business. It’s your storefront window, your sales pitch, and your first impression on potential customers. 

But a fancy website doesn’t guarantee success, just like a fancy storefront doesn’t translate to higher sales. If it’s confusing to navigate and find what you’re looking for, slow to load or respond, or frustrating to use, visitors will bounce faster than a rubber ball. 

Let’s look at some stats to understand the importance of customer experience in your small business SEO success.

• 70% of Gen-Z online users surveyed want a website to just know what they’re looking for and give it to them.
• According to Harvard Business School, every step you take in improving user experience on your website translates to 5% higher user retention and 25% more profits!
• 80% of respondents in a survey believed that they were not likely to return to a web page with poor user experience.
• Companies prioritizing customer experience can expect to see a significant boost in customer loyalty (42% improvement in retention), happiness (33% improvement in satisfaction), and sales (32% increase in cross-selling and up-selling).

Do we have your attention now?

Good, so let’s discuss how Google itself assesses user experience and what it factors in when ranking different web pages.

Google prioritizes websites with a positive user experience in its ranking algorithms. Here’s why:

If we think of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and UX as a married couple, it makes sense that one cannot be happy without the other’s satisfaction (too corny? Just trust the process).

Clicking on a website and being greeted by a maze of confusing menus, slow loading times, and text that’s hard to read is no one’s idea of a happy time. Plus, you wouldn’t stay long, would you? 

Google is only happy when users browse engaging, easy-to-navigate, quick-to-load, and whatnot websites. When users show signs of this “happiness” by spending more time on your website and interacting with your content, Google will know that your site is valuable, relevant, and worth being reviewed for better rankings.

According to this Google Search Central article about user experience guidelines, this giant of a search engine only really uses one aspect of your website’s UX in its ranking: Core  Web Vitals. 

These are specific metrics Google uses to measure a website’s technical performance, including loading speed, responsiveness, and visual stability. A website with good UX design is more likely to have good Core Web Vitals, naturally hiking its rankings on search result pages (SERPs).

Creating content for humans (and not just search engines) has been an essential become-a-Google’s-favorite tip for a long time now. 

Yes, keyword optimization is important, but the only thing that screams “I value my users and am trying to prioritize their needs” louder than relevant and useful content, is relevant and useful content that prioritizes UX.  

What does this mean? It means providing useful and relevant information on your website will not help much if they’re in disarray. Another example would be how Google assesses your website based on how inclusive and accessible it is for users with disabilities.

Clear Navigation: Your website’s navigation should be like a roadmap – clear, concise, and easy to follow. In essence, users should be able to find what they’re looking for in just a few clicks, or else they’ll leave.

Responsive Design: It goes without saying that your website MUST look and function flawlessly on all devices – desktops, tablets, and smartphones alike.

High-Quality Content: Providing valuable, informative content that addresses your target audience’s needs and interests is still the best way to show how good you’ve been to Google. Optimize your content with relevant keywords but prioritize readability and user engagement first.

Fast Loading Times: Nobody likes a slow website, whether it’s slow-loading images or lazy-loading HTML. Optimize images, minimize HTTP requests, and consider a faster web hosting plan to ensure a fast and smooth user experience.

Mobile-Friendly Design: This is not news but is still very important: mobile-first experience is crucial for SEO success. Google prioritizes mobile-friendly websites in search results and indexes them first.

Accessibility: Make your website accessible to everyone by using proper HTML tags, providing alt text for images, and ensuring keyboard navigation is functional.

Investing in UX website design is an investment in your small business’s online success. A website that’s cute and functional and user-friendly will always win. This is because, by the end of the day, a happy user is a loyal user, and loyal users translate to more sales and a thriving business. Momentum can help you create a website that not only looks great but also converts visitors into customers. Contact us today for a free consultation.