SEO Versus Web Design

Since the dawn of the Internet, there has always been a battle between design and functionality within websites. However with the birth of Google, and the increased popularity of Google as a marketing tool, a new buzz word has changed the face of functionality…..SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) !!

With companies wanting to appear at the top of search engine results, while at the same time have an attractive website that will keep the attention of its users, the war between search engine optimiser and designer rages on. If the client has thousands of pounds to throw at the marketing of a site then the visitors will follow, however most companies don't have this option and need to rely on search engine optimisers to organically promote their site within the search engine.

Is there anyway SEO and designer can live harmoniously together when the company pulls them in separate directions?

With the development of CSS, AJAX and Flash, the gap is definitely closing, enabling websites to deliver search engine rich content in an attractive and visually appealing way.

One solution for building a search engine friendly website is the three P rule….Planning Planning and Planning. The biggest problem faced when designing a search engine friendly site is the lack of this. The content for the website has to be fully thought out including search rich terms before the website even gets to the designer, trying to fit content into an already designed site is a sure fire way to create something cluttered and messy.

The most successful web sites are often the simplest, drawing attention to the content; which at the end of the day, is what the visitors are there for.