Why UX Is Now More Important Than Ever

Now is the perfect time to invest in improving the UX (user experience) of your site, as it has been announced by Google as an important ranking factor for all websites. Having a site that is user-friendly is now an even more crucial part of SEO and could even be the factor that determines whether you rank 1st on the SERP or not! 

However, this isn’t really a huge shock to us all, as it’s always been at the soul of search engine optimisation. After all, Google ranks websites that satisfy user expectations, as the renowned search engine provides the highest quality results for its users. Those using the internet want fast responsives, informative and easy-to-read content on an aesthetically pleasing website – Googles’ mission is to deliver exactly this! 

So, how is UX going to be measured by Google? 

Measuring UX 

The new ranking factor will combine metrics that are related to the key aspects of UX, including content visual stability, site speed and responsiveness. However, safe browsing, intrusive interstitials and mobile-friendliness will all also play an important role. 

There is no need to panic if your site doesn’t currently tick all of these boxes. Due to COVID-19, it has been announced by Google that these changes won’t happen right away. In fact, they won’t be even implemented until next year. Having said that, now is the perfect time to start assessing what needs to be changed on your site to improve UX and begin implementing them as soon as possible, so you’re ready for the new year. 

Importance Of UX 

Ultimately, if your site has poor UX, the users will get inpatient with your website and leave, thus giving your site a bad bounce rate. In turn, when they leave your site they will not only make purchases off your competitors’ sites, but also remember that your site was slow to load or difficult to navigate, so will be less likely to return to use your website again. 

However, done correctly and UX can have the power to attract new users and enhance your conversion rate. Remember that your website is a reflection of your brand – you wouldn’t want your shop looking a mess or difficult for customers to find what they need. Despite content still being a highly important ranking factor, if there are pages that are similar in relevance, Google will favour pages with better UX. 

Customers can be impatient when it comes to searching for products or services online, especially if they know exactly what they are looking for. Therefore, users don’t tend to accept any unnecessary complexity that delays any immediate access to the information they need. By prioritising UX for your website, this will encourage users to go forward with their intent to purchase, thus increasing conversion rate on your website. Having a seamless and smooth customer journey will inspire more customers to explore the platform fully. 

UX For All Channels 

It’s not just your site that should be user friendly – all of your channels should be! UX isn’t only important to help boost your SEO rankings, you should also maximise your PPC campaigns with good UX too! Google Adwords checks UX on landing pages when considering the relevance of an ad. Therefore, a landing page related to PPC campaigns needs a short load time and easy navigation, otherwise the page will be valued as less relevant and will require a higher bid in order to be visible. 

So, as you can see UX is highly important for your site and now is the time to be implementing UX improvements across your website ready for the new year when Google will roll these changes. If you require any help to enhance the UX of your site, don’t hesitate to contact our team at The Good Marketer.