Website uploads are increasing at an alarmingly fast rate. With millions of sites already on the web and millions made live daily, designers must focus on designs that result in higher SERPs for their clients. This happens only with the best practices in place and the proper USA domain name registered.
Understand how Google’s algorithm works
Designing a website goes beyond just the graphical components. As a designer, you must address Google’s algorithm for search engine results. Because this algorithm changes and new standards are put into place, keeping an eye on the standards. On July 26, 2021, Google updated their algorithm. This update explicitly targets links from sponsors, guests, and affiliates.
Links for Google in 2021
Sites designed for high ranking in 2021 must ensure that affiliate links are rel=” sponsored”, qualifying the link. This is for both manual and dynamic and any sponsored links that you may have. Not having this in your link tags will put your further back on the SERPs. Additionally, any guest post containing links must have a rel=’nofollow’ value.
Designers should avoid using too many links on their pages in 2021. As Google focuses more and more on ranking the top sites as those that address questions and answers, it is more beneficial that sites embed content that helps explain their message rather than linking too many times to external sites. When linking is needed (as all top sites on google have some form of linkage to additional expert information), ensure that the proper tags are attached. Google will poorly rank any site without the proper tags on links.
SEO changes in 2021
In the past, to rank highly in the SERPs, the only thing that was needed was a great design, SEO content, and a great domain and web hosting services site to help with your JavaScripting and code. However, in 2021 Google has shifted their ranking system to focus more on expert content. What does this mean for the designer? Primarily, web designers will need to use the proper hierarchy for topics. Headers and footers will now be an essential part of the site’s design. When creating SEO content, questions and answers will prioritize essay-styled text.
Loading Times and your Google Ranking
In addition to the SEO and link updates, Google updated the UI/UX requirements for search engine rankings in May of this year. User experience focuses on many aspects of the design and SERPs and has traditionally been the focus of designers who wish to place their client’s website at the top of the search engines. With the May update, Google is focusing on the load times of pages first, interactivity second, and the overall stability of the website last. Keep in mind that this is in addition to the standards which have been in place focusing on mobile accessibility, SSLs on the site, HTTP security, and organic content.
Run Matrics on your site
Due to the focus on loading times and the stability of the site, designers must run both high and low matric software on the site. Identify any areas which show higher loading times than what is demanded. In today’s world, a site that loads in over 2 seconds is considered slow, and this number is getting lower. Some studies show that people seek sites that load in under a second. Optimizing load times is critical to top page ranking. Should you find that the page loads slowly, compress your images, combine your scripts if possible, and move the Javascript to the end of the loading process.
How does the design play into the SERPs?
The design of a website is more important now than ever. Sites with long-form content and online user experiences will rank higher in the SERPs. Additionally, sites focusing on graphic design trends are more apt to rank higher as the visitor count increases. In 2021 this means sites that focus on branding images, icon-based navigations, user-triggered animations and interactivities, controlled colour pallets, comment and user input content, mobile-friendly adaptations of their sites, and social media ready content sites will do well.
How your domain name will determine your Google ranking
Google is tightening down on their top pages seeking out those with expert status. As such, elongated domains or those with generic addresses are prone to be shoved in the back of the search engine results. Sites that meet the algorithm requirements and have a USA domain name will rank higher. Not only will register USA domain names do well, but any domain focused on relaying the content of a page and is registered with a top-rated web hosting site will do well. This includes any WordPress web hosting services considered the standard within Google’s algorithm.