SEO is much more than link building and trying to maximize keyword appearance in your content. Important as they are these tactics are just scratching the surface of optimizing your websites for search engines. Improving parts of the user experience can also positively enhance SEO. Optimizing for user experience can in some cases directly influence your search engine ranking.
When Google unveiled RankBrain in 2015 it introduced another factor for ranking websites, apart from links and keywords. RankBrain is focusing on user behaviour metrics like engagement, bounce rates, session analytics etc. These are elements that you can directly influence with UX Design. In essence, when you create a website that is a delight to use, users revisit and stay for a considerable time it translates directly to your Google ranking. Having an optimized, efficient and quick interaction is one example, emphasising security over your user’s data or making sure your mobile experience is up to par. Nowadays users are acquainted with fast interactions, waiting for a page to load for more than a few seconds is considered slow. Creating usable, fast and engaging content, improving your navigation, responsiveness and accessibility, following the correct standards in web development are all positive UX strategies that will improve your Google SEO ranking.
