Which came first: Website Usability or Search Engine Optimization?
More and more, it’s becoming apparent how much website usability and search go hand-in-hand. You can’t have great search visibility without great usability; and no one will know your site has great usability without great search visibility. At this point, the two are so intertwined, it’s difficult to separate them; but let’s give it a go with some important usability rules for search:
Information Architecture
If you haven’t built your website yet…
Great! Stop right now.
Do you have a site outline yet? You’ll need to document exactly how your navigation structure is going to be set up.
Now you have an outline…does it make sense? Maybe to you, but why not test it out? Get feedback from anyone you can: your coworkers,your customers, your family, your friends. Ask, “if this was your website, how would you set it up?” and “If you came to this website, does this outline make sense?” You’ll have a proper site outline in no time.
If you already have a website built…
Don’t panic. You may very well already have a fantastic, easy-to-understand information architecture.
How can you tell? Check your bounce rate. This might be a clue as to who lands on one page of your website, gets confused, gives up, and just leaves (essentially “bounces”). If your bounce rate is high (I’m talking really high – greater than 90% high), it might be worth taking a look at other stats to make sure it’s your navigation to blame. If it is, it might be worth a navigation revamp – a pretty hefty undertaking; where a complete site overhaul might be in order. Regardless, either option will make a drastic improvement if navigation is to blame.
Call-to-action
Gone are the days of the online brochure. Your website needs to have a purpose: what do you want people to do on your website? Do you want them to call you? Email you? Fill out a form? Sign up for your email newsletter? Buy something? Make your call-to-action big, bold, and obvious. Subtlety doesn’t pay in a fast-paced web surfer world.
Think of every page as a landing page
By default, most of us think our visitors will start on our homepage, then travel through the rest of the website in order – reading every word we wrote – just as we planned it. I hate to burst your bubble, but people start in the middle of your website, skip around, and leave before you want them to. [Acceptance is the first step.]
So, as you plan your pages and write the copy; think: what if this is the very first page someone sees of my website? (That’s why the *cough* call-to-action is so important.)
By keeping these usability tips in mind as you plan – or revamp – your website, you’re already on the road to better search engine visibility.
Nicki Hicks
Usability is as usability does
Tags: call to action, information architecture, landing page, usability
November 17th, 2009 at 10:29 am
Really good post Nicki – IA is often not given the attention it deserves; thanks for bringing it to the front and center.
Gloria
November 27th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
I found your blog on google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Keep up the good work. Look forward to reading more from you in the future.