Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, it’s no secret that SEO has evolved into more than simple tricks. Google continues to evaluate websites on a more in depth level, and as a result, a successful SEO campaign must start with quality web design and development. Here’s why SEO and web design should be done together.

SEO & Web Design Should Compliment Each Other

In a perfect world, SEO and web design should compliment each other, not work against each other. For example, if you’re building a new website (or redesigning an existing one), it’s extremely helpful to have a knowledgeable SEO professional involved in the process. That way, your site is built with aesthetic design, useability, and Google ranking factors in mind.

Minor SEO Details Can Become Major Headaches Later

There are many, many instances where a website may look fine, but has major problems on the SEO side. SEO professionals will look at basic elements like sitemaps and URL structures from a different perspective. They pay attention to SEO related details like
, whether links should open new windows, and whether additional code is needed. They can also help ensure that your site has the correct social media URLS, and accurate citations and map embed codes. Fixing these details after your website is completed can be difficult and time consuming (and in some cases can result in broken URLS and countless headaches), so it’s best to organize these details during the development process.

SEO Work Can Get Bottlenecked by 3rd Party Web Developers

One of the most common problems with stand-alone SEO companies is the lack of communication between the SEO side and the
side. Sometimes, SEO related work cannot begin until certain website changes are completed. Oftentimes, these tasks can get lost in translation between the SEO company and the web design company involved. This can be even more complex if the two companies aren’t talking directly to each other, but through the client instead. In addition, your SEO company might be restricted to the confines of the website. For example, if your SEO consultant does not have access to upload photos, install plugins, or add additional code when needed, they may not be able to fully optimize your site and content, leading to frustration for everyone involved.

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Can SEO & Web Design Coexist Under One Roof?

The benefits of having both SEO and web design under one roof are obvious, but we need to take a moment to talk about some things to watch out for. Unfortunately, there are many SEO companies that offer “web design.” Essentially, these companies offer SEO services with some basic web templates. Similarly, there are many web design companies that offer incomplete “SEO” services. You can avoid these companies by asking the following questions:

• Do you use templates or can I have a custom design?
• Do you have qualified coders in-house?
• Are you or any of your staff Adwords certified?
• Are you or any of your staff Analytics certified?

To summarize, SEO and web design go hand in hand - you can never truly optimize a website without the support of a knowledgeable web development team. Want to learn more about custom web design and SEO services? Give us a call at 702.988.2119.