In the digital landscape where competition is ferocious and the user’s attention span is fleeting, many business owners and websites fail to consider the importance of User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI). Sometimes it’s about finances (redesigns can be costly); at other times it’s about an unwillingness to upset existing users.
“Content is king” and “My site design is aesthetically pleasing” are two other reasons behind this lack of attention to the user experience.
Enter Google’s September 2023 HCU (Helpful Content Update) which hit numerous websites and business owners so hard, the interest in how much weight UX carries in search page rankings has intensified. It’s pretty clear at this point that the search engine will no longer reward domains that contain unhelpful content, neither will it reward sites with useful content but unfriendly UX designs.
The Intersection of SEO and User Experience
Google’s Helpful Content System aided by Machine Learning creates a site-wide ranking signal for each website. It takes into account a lot of factors including UX. Why does a seamless UX/UI design resonate so deeply with Google’s algorithms? The answer lies in what an immersive user experience implies. A site that users can navigate with ease and speed, and keeps them engaged indicates how helpful it is to searchers.
Content may be classified as helpful or unhelpful by Google based on whether the person writing it “demonstrates expertise” on the subject, audiences need to search again on the same topic the article is covering and so on. If you’re seeing many results that you would term as “irrelevant”, “poor quality” or “totally unhelpful” in SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) right now, chances are that you’re looking at newer sites which don’t have enough quantifiable data.
Also, Google’s AI system isn’t infallible. It cannot always tell the difference between helpful and unhelpful content.
This brings us back to UX design, doesn’t it? If a user stays on your site, navigates through it without trouble and engages with your content, it gives a very strong indication to Google that your website is helpful. Ease of interaction is facilitated by good UX/UI design.
“Engagement” can mean a number of things–visitors may choose to click on the social media buttons on your page and share your article, or they may complete a “conversion event” such as signing up for your newsletter or purchasing a product you’re selling.
For example, if you’re an online marketplace, your UX/UI should facilitate a smooth, intuitive flow from browsing to buying. In case the manner in which a customer interacts with your site highlights difficulties in completing a purchase due to a convoluted checkout process, it’s a red flag.
Experts agree that Google’s HCU is a push towards content that serves audiences, with an immersive UX/UI design at the heart of this user-centric approach. UX/UI is where form meets function, and where the first impression can make or break your relationship with your audience.
Websites with intuitive navigation, responsive design, and aesthetic appeal stand tall in the eyes of both users and search engines.
But note that an engaging UX is more than just a pretty facade. It’s about clear, accessible, and interactive design elements that invite users to delve deeper into your website or app. From color schemes that reflect your brand’s identity to layouts that guide a user’s journey, every aspect of UX needs to be strategized with the user in mind.
The UX Element: A Story of Interaction and Satisfaction
Your user interface might look great, but it’s the UX that determines the ease with which a user finds information or completes an action beneficial to your site or business. In a marketplace where patience is thin, and options are plentiful, a UX that minimizes friction and maximizes satisfaction is an indispensable asset. When a user enters your domain, there should be clear indications of what they should do next and/or a “call to action”.
Your website is the digital facade of your business, and in many cases, the first point of contact. Make it count. So what does a UX/UI overhaul entail and does your business need it?
How to Decide if Your Business or Domain Needs a UX/UI Redesign
Deciding on a UX/UI redesign for your business hinges on recognizing user experience shortfalls and industry benchmarks.
Imagine a customer named Alex who visits an online bookstore. Alex wants to quickly find the latest mystery novels but gets lost in a maze of poorly categorized genres. Here, a redesign could introduce a simplified, clear categorization system, perhaps with a predictive search feature to guide Alex directly to his desired section.
Moreover, if your website is not responsive across all devices, you may be inadvertently turning away mobile users. With over half of global web traffic coming from mobile devices, a non-responsive design is akin to having a brick-and-mortar store with a door that’s too narrow for many to enter.
Say, you’re running an online news platform. Despite offering compelling articles, you notice a dip in readers’ time spent on the site and a high bounce rate. This could suggest that while the content is strong, the interface might be deterring deeper engagement.
Perhaps the article layout is cluttered, making it hard for readers to focus on the text without being distracted by intrusive ads or complex navigation menus. In this case, a UX/UI overhaul could introduce a cleaner, more reader-friendly article format, with subtle prompts for related articles to encourage readers to stay engaged.
I feel that keeping tabs on how users interact with your site, and staying abreast with UX/UI trends, is more crucial than ever before if you want to stay visible and climb up in Google SERPs.
Evaluate your site against competitors regularly. If they are leveraging cutting-edge design trends that enhance user engagement, and your site feels outdated in comparison, a redesign might be on the cards.
But most importantly, if you noticed a steep dive in traffic (and therefore, profits) since Google rolled out its HCU on September 14, 2023, it’s time to get a site auditor to evaluate your domain and try to put it on the road to recovery. If you’re fortunate enough, a mere UX overhaul might do the trick.
