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UX design meets SEO: How good design improves search engine rankings

Melanie Beil
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Melanie Beil
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25.10.2024

In B2B marketing, optimizing the user experience (UX) and search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial to effectively reach potential customers. However, both disciplines should not be considered in isolation. A close integration between UX and SEO leads to better results in search engines and a higher conversion rate on the corporate website. 

Here are the most important challenges and solutions for B2B companies:

The challenge for corporate websites: Complex B2B buying processes

B2B marketing is very different from B2C marketing, as purchasing decisions often involve multiple decision-makers and longer sales cycles. Customers are looking for detailed information and often have specific requirements. Companies need to ensure that their website is compelling in terms of both content and user experience in order to drive conversions.

One of the most common challenges in B2B marketing is to present technical information and services in a clear and understandable way without compromising SEO strategies. Complex content often needs to be structured in such a way that it is easy for search engines to understand, while at the same time offering users a credible and brand-compliant experience. An optimized UX design can significantly improve the conversion rate on B2B websites by facilitating user guidance and increasing website visibility at the same time.

Depending on the expertise of the stakeholder (executive engineers, purchasing, managers or CEOs) and the phase within an assumed customer journey, content must be prepared accordingly. 

Optimizing the user experience for SEO and conversions

1. content structure and navigation 

A clear site architecture and intuitive navigation are crucial for a positive user experience and also for the SEO ranking. B2B websites should present content in a way that is easily accessible for both search engines and users. The information architecture must be designed in such a way that visitors can get to the relevant content as quickly as possible, while at the same time ensuring crawlability for search engines to improve website visibility. 

Outline important user flows, e.g. in wireframes, and think carefully about which content is relevant for the UX in which phase. Then test your content and layouts for optimal crawlability and the relevant keywords of a keyword strategy.

2. loading times and mobile optimization

Fast loading times not only optimize the SEO ranking, but are also crucial for a positive user experience. Slow B2B websites often lead to high bounce rates, which can have a negative impact on both conversion rates and search engine rankings. Mobile users in particular expect fast and optimized content. Google's Core Web Vitals - especially Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) and First Input Delay (FID) - are important factors that can improve both UX and SEO ranking. 

Optimize the code, page size and graphics of your website layouts and website content. If necessary, decide whether web offers will build up a good SEO rank in the long term or whether special web offers such as landing pages will find visitors primarily via other traffic acquisition strategies, such as social media or email campaigns, and where loading time does not play such a significant role. 

In addition, it should be ensured that the website is fully mobile-optimized, as Google prioritizes mobile-first indexing. Implementing Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) can also help to significantly reduce loading times on mobile devices.

3. content optimization and interactivity

Valuable and well-researched content is key to increasing conversions in the B2B sector. However, SEO-friendly content must not only be informative, but also appealing. Through the targeted use of relevant keywords in combination with interactive UX elements such as diagrams or tools, content can improve both user engagement and SEO rankings.

By using tools such as heatmaps and scroll tracking, user behaviour can be better analyzed and specifically optimized. A/B tests help to find out which design changes have the greatest impact on the conversion rate.

Combining SEO and UX for better conversion rates

Optimizing landing pages for SEO and conversion is key for B2B companies. Pages that have high conversion rates are often those that strike a good balance between clear structure, engaging design and useful content. 

The use of structured data (schema markup) also helps search engines to better interpret the content of your page and increases the chances of rich snippets in the search results. For example, FAQs or reviews can be displayed directly in the SERPs, which increases the click-through rate (CTR).

Best practices for UX elements that promote SEO and conversion:

  • Call-to-actions (CTAs): These should be prominent and clearly placed and guide users:inside without disrupting the reading flow.
  • Readability: Well-structured content, paragraphs and the use of white space make the text easier to read and improve the user experience, which increases the time spent on the page - an important SEO ranking factor.
  • Visual elements: Graphics, videos and infographics enrich the content, but must also be optimized for SEO, for example through alt texts and suitable file formats.

Important points of contact between UX and SEO © Uhura Digital GmbH

How does Google measure UX and website usability?

A look at the key Google Core Web Vitals parameters, which the company has confirmed are important ranking factors, shows why these elements are so relevant. Google Core Web Vitals are a way for Google to measure the usability of a website:

  • Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): the LCP measures the load performance of a page. It measures the time it takes for the largest element of the page to appear on the screen. The shorter the time, the better.
  • First Input Delay (FID): The FID measures the time between the loading of a page and the first interaction of a user. The clickability of buttons, the selection of sections and the completion of forms are included.
  • Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): CLS measures the visual stability of the elements on the page. CLS pays attention to ad loading, page content jumping and more.

Conclusion: 

For B2B companies, it is crucial that UX and SEO go hand in hand. A close link between these two disciplines not only improves visibility in search engines, but also optimizes the user experience. In the complex world of B2B marketing, these improvements lead to a higher conversion rate and ultimately more success in digital marketing.

At Uhura, we offer comprehensive full-service solutions to support your B2B website with excellent UX & UI design, technically optimized SEO and tailored conversion optimizations. Contact us for a no-obligation SEO audit and find out how to increase your website visibility while improving the user experience.

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