In our day and age, it is not enough to just have any website – as digital life has moved on, competition for online traffic internationally but more specifically in Cyprus has gone through the roof along with any expectations on high rankings in SEO. Cyprus based local organisations and companies around the island whether large or small, have reached a professional level and are competing with other firms on an international scale offline and online.

What is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. In simple terms, optimising a website to rank highly on a search engine so that a website can receive a high level of internet traffic creating more exposure to the product or service on offer.

Why is this Necessary?

To rank high in search engine sites like Google, it is the website owner’s best interest to present the user with the most relevant information when they search a word or phrase. This results in a satisfied user, being able to receive an instant answer or view the exact product/service they had in mind, with them likely to return to the same search engine.

For Google to be able to present the most relevant information, it has an algorithm that undergoes continuous updates and adaptations, in order to improve the user experience it offers.

The algorithm is complex and ranks many factors such as:

Keywords

Google aims to present the most relevant information and one obvious way to do this is by scanning a website to see how many times the word or phrase you searched for is on the website.

Content

Having up to date relevant content is one of the most important factors. If a user searches health and fitness, Google will not want to present an older article. The algorithm will search for the most relevant and up to date information making fresh content an absolute necessity.

Images

If the website features heavy and slow loading images, it is likely a user will not wait around for it to load, making Google less likely to rank it highly.

Links

A link from one website to another is the equivalent of one friend recommending another. The more famous or important a friend is, the stronger the recommendation to the other person is. In the same way, if a well-known, high-ranking website links to another website, the recommendation is picked up by Google’s algorithm, making the site more relevant and trustworthy, thus ranking it higher.

The above factors are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Google’s ever-changing algorithm.

What is a High-Quality Website?

So, you have managed to have a website that meets some of Google algorithm’s requirements and ranks well. The next thing you should do is focus and prioritise User Experience. If a user finds your site but is presented with an outdated, low-quality website, chances are they will move on quickly. For a website to survive in 2019, it is not enough to just technically rank highly. It must provide an excellent user experience to ensure that your services/products are used and valued. The aim is to provide local support that will make your business and online presence match today’s global high standards and stay ahead of the competition in Cyprus Web Design.

The fact of the matter is, 38 percent of people will stop engaging with a website if the content and layout is unattractive.

A website must be designed in an easy to read way ideally featuring videos and images that people enjoy interacting with. High-quality websites should also feature call to actions to encourage the use of the product/service being offered (in a way that is not perceived as spam).

Following this, the clear architecture of your website is essential. Not only should a website look good, but an easy to use path for a user must be created, so that users do not become lost or frustrated when looking for a product or service on your website.

In 2019 it is increasingly common for users to access websites from tablets and mobile phones, therefore a website is required to be responsive so that users can have an enjoyable experience through all devices.

Site quality and SEO conclusion

It is evident that site quality and SEO go hand in hand. A high-quality website that is not seen by users is of no use, and a high-ranking low-quality website is also of no use. Especially in Cyprus where the market is smaller than other European countries, high-quality websites are important if you want to stay ahead of the game.

Fortunately, Google continues to adapt with the aim of promoting high-quality websites. Therefore, to have a successful website in 2019, it is essential to have an easy to find website that both looks good and fulfills the user’s needs and expectations. To accomplish this, a combination of high-quality design and SEO work is required. Web Theoria has the experience, knowledge, and talent to achieve this winning combination.

Published on August 08, 2019