Top 10 SEO web design mistakes

If you’re planning to create a new website (but not only!), you have two key aspects to remember: your audience and search engines. Both are essential for your online marketing strategy, especially considering Local SEO. All businesses need an SEO-friendly website. But sometimes, it is challenging to achieve that. My expert advice is to always collaborate closely with an SEO expert. In this way, you’ll be able to achieve the best results for your business.

The main difficulty for website owners is to create a balance between an SEO-friendly and a user-friendly interface. That’s why we can see plenty of mistakes in 2022. Luckily, I’m focusing on helping you and your business. Read on to discover the top 10 SEO web design mistakes you need to avoid in 2022!

#1 Difficult navigation

A major mistake with SEO web design is ignoring the website navigation. Did you know this is one of the most important aspects to thoroughly consider for your website? Well, if you offer poor navigation, users will tend to avoid your website. What is even more concerning is that search engines might rank your site as poor quality.

The best website navigation is straightforward. You need to offer an intuitive interface and simple access to your menu. For example, expandable links or hidden sliding menus are the go-to solutions for the best optimization and navigation techniques.

#2 Different content

Another mistake you need to avoid is sharing different content on your web version and mobile version. This can lead to a lot of confusion and can even make your users avoid your brand. It is best to optimize your website for mobile use and share the same content. The best SEO web design practice is to set up one version of your website with a responsive design.

#3 Not opening links in another tab

If you aim to annoy your audience, you can make them click on a link that won’t open in a new tab. This is a huge mistake all brands need to avoid! Linking to other websites improves your exposure. But you should always have your links open in a new tab!

#4 Resource overload

As mentioned above, you need to focus on a responsive web design. And to achieve that, you need to avoid resource overload. Studies show that almost 50% of people expect a website to load in up to 2 seconds. They don’t have the patience to way for your endless resources to load!

#5 Ignoring HTTPS

HTTPS is here for a big reason: to secure the online experience on your website. Not using an SSL certificate is a red flag for your audiences and SEO practices. Keep in mind that Google warns users when their about to access a website without a certificate. This can drive your potential customers away!

#6 Not offering qualitative content
SEO content is a must for any website. The best SEO web design practices involve thorough research for qualitative content. I can say from my experience that it is useful to have at least 300 words per page. Using videos and visual cues can contribute to a user’s experience, too.

#7 Not using Call To Action

The whole purpose of a website is to determine users to perform a specific action. So, a tremendous SEO web design mistake is not using a Call To Action. Not using a CTA means you’ll miss out on conversions. A conversion rate optimization (CRO) audit is an excellent choice to determine how to use CTA for your website. The golden rule says it is highly useful to have a CTA on each page of your website. But before you start doing this, it might be an excellent idea to discuss it with an SEO expert.

#8 Not optimizing headings and metadata for SEO Web Design Success

Another top mistake with SEO web design is ignoring the importance of headings and metadata. If you want to have an extremely functional and responsive website, you should always have a single H1 and SEO metadata. This approach will significantly improve the experience on your website, along with its ranking in search results.

#9 Using duplicate content

I keep mentioning this because it is a huge mistake people keep repeating. A vital rule in online marketing is to avoid using duplicate content. The goal of any SEO practice is to use unique and valuable content. When you duplicate your content, you risk damaging the image of your website. What is even worse, you might risk getting banned from Google!

#10 Using pop-ups

The era of pop-ups is long gone. This means users can get easily annoyed with a website that has a wide array of pop-ups. The goal of SEO web design is to offer a smooth user experience. So, you should avoid pop-ups at all costs.

Learn more about SEO Web Design Services

These are some of the most common SEO web design mistakes you should avoid. My professional opinion is that you should always work with a professional. DIY SEO approaches can do more harm than good! Book a free consultation to learn more benefits of an SEO web design website.