While design and functionality are important elements in the development of a website, we cannot forget the importance of SEO (Search Engine Optimization). SEO is a set of techniques for improving the visibility of a website in search engine results such as Google, Bing, or Yahoo.

Although there are marketing professionals dedicated to this field, web developers can improve SEO too.

Best practices for developers:

1. Create a clear and readable URL structure. This helps search engines understand what a particular page is about. Therefore, it is relevant to use a URL structure that reflects the content of the page.

For example, a URL like “https://www.example.gt/article/123” is more descriptive than “https://www.example.gt/?p=123”.

2. Use header tags correctly. Header tags (h1, h2, h3, etc.) are essential for both website accessibility and SEO. Use these tags to organize the content of the page and to indicate the hierarchy of the information. Make sure the main header (h1) clearly describes the content of the page.

3. Optimize images for the web. Images are valuable for website design, but they can also affect the site’s loading speed. Make sure to optimize images for the Internet, including compressing them and adjusting their size. It is also crucial to add descriptive “alt” tags to images, which helps search engines understand what the image is about.

4. Use relevant keywords. Keywords are terms or phrases that describe the content of a web page. It is essential to use those terms without exaggeration. A good average consists of 8 mentions per page. Use keywords in titles, header tags, and body text of the page. Make sure their use is natural and not forced.

5. Ensure that the website is mobile-friendly. More and more people are browsing on their cellphones. Therefore, it is important to ensure that a website is mobile-friendly to improve the user experience and ranking in Google search results.

In summary, SEO is a key part of a web developer’s work, who can make design and programming decisions that improve these results. Discover more  tips on our social media and remember that the domain name influences your SEO results.