When SEO and Web Design Meet

Search Engine Optimization does not hinder webmasters from creating an attractive site. You can still make use of effective design; however, make sure that your site will still be spider-friendly for the search engines. There are webmasters who load their sites with graphic presentations, images and flash animations for the purpose of making it appear attractive. But doing this makes the page slow to open (especially for those who are on a dial up connection).

Then how can you make your site attractive without sacrificing its size? Contrary to what most misguided webmasters believe, there are simple graphic optimization strategies that they can utilize. These strategies allow them to create visually appealing sites while maintaining the small size of the pages.

SEO - Friendly Web Design Strategies

• CSS v Graphic Image



Instead of using graphic image, you can use CSS code. There are figures that can be achieved through the use of CSS code alone. You can opt to employ CSS instead of graphic images – especially now when CSS alternatives are becoming more common on web browsers.

• HTML and Flash Elements



You certainly know that flash presentations are not advisable in search engine optimization. If you intend to keep the aesthetic value of flash elements on your site, make sure to leave a large percentage of the page for HTML texts. You can add a few flash elements but always have HTML texts on the page.

• Code over Graphic Elements



One way to make a graphic element search engine friendly is inserting codes on them. Another thing to consider while you plan the site’s structure, layout and functionality is the complexity of the graphics.

• Slice into Small Images



Once the design is completed, you can slice it into small images to be used in the HTML code. Avoid making big slices that are loaded with various colors and the same graphic structure on it – make small slices with a few numbers of colors on it instead. One point to remember in slicing is this: a slice with a large number of colors is smaller in size if the format used is JPEG compared to those in GIF format.

• Programming Techniques



In applying web design that is SEO-friendly, consider these: 1) CSS2 has much to offer than CSS; and 2) PHP scripts are better than JavaScript in other aspects.

It does not mean that when you start optimizing your site for the search engines, you should forget about web design. It would be better to combine the two processes. The end product would be far much better – relevant and attractive site!

When web design and search engine optimization meet, the end product is a relevant and attractive site. Achieve higher ranking through SEO and web design. How? Please see our SEO Services or contact our SEO Specialists.