| My focus is on how website usability goes | | | | |
| hand in hand with good SEO. Usability | | | | Search engine optimization (SEO) is a set of |
| science, or human factors, pursues the quest | | | | methods aimed at improving the ranking of a |
| for human-computer interface designs that are | | | | website in search engine listings, and could |
| easy to use. While Usability Day is about | | | | be considered a subset of search engine |
| technology as a whole, and how that | | | | marketing. The term SEO also refers to |
| technology makes our lives easier, this | | | | "search engine optimizers," an industry of |
| article will turn its attention to website | | | | consultants who carry out optimization |
| usability, and how it can be important in | | | | projects on behalf of clients' sites. |
| search engine optimization. | | | | |
| | | | It is the process of analyzing and optimizing |
| Website usability deals with ease of | | | | your web site's design in order to ensure its |
| navigation, how colors work together to | | | | indexing and increase its positioning in |
| enhance a user experience without hurting the | | | | search engines. |
| eyes, the size of fonts, and design. But | | | | |
| some of the concepts of website usability | | | | The goal of this analysis and optimization is |
| have a direct effect on how search engines | | | | to make your web site and its content more |
| crawl your website, and index it accordingly. | | | | attractive, relevant and visible to search |
| | | | engines and web searchers. |
| "Memory is part of usability. That's why | | | | |
| navigation is such a pain in the neck to work | | | | It would be terrible to have a beautifully |
| out and make usable for everybody who will | | | | designed web site with excellent written |
| use your web site. There are ads, images, | | | | content, yet receive little traffic simply |
| blinking thingy's distracting your eyes, and | | | | because your site cannot be easily found, if |
| your mind is going everywhere at once". | | | | at all, by using a major search engine. |
| | | | |
| Usability Testing | | | | We will provide you with our expert advice on |
| | | | your site's architecture in order to make it |
| Web site usability focuses on what happens | | | | search engine friendly. |
| after users arrive on a Web site. When | | | | |
| usability professionals perform formative | | | | A higher search ranking is what many website |
| tests on Web page prototypes, the initial | | | | owners dream of. What they don't realise is |
| assumption is users have already landed on a | | | | that by optimising their site for the search |
| specific page. Usability professionals | | | | engines, if done correctly, they can also |
| observe what people do once they arrive on | | | | optimise it for their site visitors. |
| that page. Do they take the desired call to | | | | |
| action? Do they understand what page they're | | | | Ultimately this means more people finding |
| viewing? The focus of formative usability | | | | your website and increased sales and lead |
| testing is to create a user-friendly | | | | generation. But are search engine |
| interface. It isn't how to encourage people | | | | optimization and usability compatible? Aren't |
| to visit your Web site. That responsibility | | | | there trades-offs that need to be made |
| is usually relegated to the marketing | | | | between giving search engines what they want |
| department. | | | | and giving people what they want? Read on and |
| | | | find out. |
| Search Engine Optimization: | | | | |