Do you think that SEO and user experience (UX) are like water and oil? Think again. The truth is that a good UX is a guarantee of good SEO, or organic positioning. It's not about bumping heads over how much text to put on a page. It's about understanding that, at its core, what's good for the user is good for search engines. Don't forget that Google's mission is to offer the user the best search experience and that cannot be done without a perfect UX and a SEO optimization spectacular.
SEO, or “Search Engine Optimization” In English, it refers to the process of improving the visibility of a website in the search results of engines such as Google. This is achieved by optimizing various aspects of the website, including keywords, meta tags, site structure, loading speed, and others, with the objective of increasing organic traffic and improving its position in search results.
On the other hand, UX, or “User Experience” in English, refers to the experience that a user has when interacting with a website, an application or any other digital product. It focuses on aspects such as ease of use, accessibility, aesthetics, loading speed, intuitive navigation and user satisfaction during their experience on the site.
These two disciplines complement each other because, in essence, they share a common goal: to provide the best possible user experience. Good SEO is based on understanding the user's needs and preferences to provide relevant and quality content, which in turn improves the user experience. On the other hand, good UX also has a positive impact on SEO, since a well-designed and user-friendly website tends to have a lower bounce rate, longer time spent on the site and more interactions, factors that search engines such as Google take into account when ranking websites.
Google Analytics and other web analytics tools can provide metrics that indicate user engagement and interaction with your website. Some of these metrics include:
Longer time on a website is considered positive because it indicates interest and commitment on the part of users, suggesting that they find the content relevant and are willing to spend time exploring it. In addition, this longer time offers more opportunities for interaction, increasing the chances of conversions, such as subscriptions or purchases. This increased participation can also improve search engine rankings as it is interpreted as a sign of the relevance and usefulness of the content for users, which contributes to the overall success of the website.
A higher number of pages viewed on a website indicates good SEO and UX for several reasons. First, it shows that users are finding the content attractive enough to explore beyond the landing page, suggesting that the website is meeting their expectations and needs. In addition, intuitive navigation and a well-organized site structure make it easier for users to find and access relevant content, improving the user experience. Good SEO also plays a crucial role in ensuring that content is easily accessible and relevant to users, which can increase the likelihood that they will visit multiple pages looking for additional information. Overall, a greater number of pages visited reflects the effectiveness of SEO and UX strategies to attract, retain and engage users on the website.
A low bounce rate indicates good SEO and UX for several fundamental reasons. First, a low bounce rate suggests that users are finding exactly what they're looking for when they arrive at the website, indicating effective alignment between site content and user search queries. This can be the result of proper optimization of keywords and meta descriptions, which attract relevant and qualified visitors. In addition, a low bounce rate can indicate a positive user experience, where the site design, navigation, and information structure are intuitive and easy to use, encouraging users to explore more pages instead of leaving the site immediately. Taken together, a low bounce rate reflects the website's ability to meet the needs and expectations of users, contributing both to SEO success in retaining traffic and to a satisfying user experience.
Conversions are also an important indicator of good SEO and UX. When users perform desired actions on a website, such as filling out a form, making a purchase, or signing up for a newsletter, it's considered a conversion. Good SEO ensures that the website is easily discovered by relevant users through search engines, which can increase the number of qualified visitors who are more likely to convert. On the other hand, a good UX creates a smooth and pleasant user experience, which can encourage users to complete desired actions. For example, a simplified buying process and clear navigation can increase conversions by reducing friction and making it easier for users to make a purchase. In short, conversions are a key indicator of the effectiveness of both SEO and UX, as they reflect the website's ability to attract and retain users, as well as to guide them to specific actions that benefit both the user and the site owner.
Two Google events related to a good user experience (UX) are the launch of the algorithm Mobilegeddon in 2015 And the update Page Experience in 2021. Mobilegeddon marked a significant change in prioritizing the optimization of websites for mobile devices, forcing site owners to improve the user experience on mobile devices to maintain or improve their positioning in search results. The Page Experience update, on the other hand, placed even more emphasis on UX by incorporating user experience metrics, such as loading speed, ease of use on mobile devices, and site security, as important ranking factors. These events highlight the importance that Google attaches to a positive user experience and how it can influence the online performance and visibility of a website.
These are just some of the metrics you can use to evaluate user engagement on your website through tools such as Google Analytics. It is important to keep in mind that engagement in the Google context is mainly measured by the behavior of users on the website and how they interact with the content and the actions they perform on it.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and UX (User Experience) are two fundamental aspects to increase the number of conversions on a website. SEO focuses on improving visibility and search engine positioning, which increases organic traffic to the site. On the other hand, the UX focuses on providing a smooth and satisfying experience for users during their interaction with the site. When these two elements are effectively combined, an environment is created where users can easily find what they are looking for and enjoy an enjoyable browsing experience. Not only does this increase the likelihood of users taking desired actions, such as buying a product or subscribing to a service, but it also encourages user retention and brand loyalty. A website well optimized for both SEO and UX will not only attract more qualified traffic, but it will also offer an experience that motivates users to become customers, which ultimately translates into a greater number of conversions and sustainable growth for the business.