Usability Strategy Ranks High With Search Engines

[thejenn]

Authored by: Jim Hedger

Full Article: http://www.searchengineguide.com/hedger/006275.html

A Snippet:

Leading visitors towards goal-orientated outcomes makes as much sense for a functioning website as it does for a functional building and, to follow through on the analogy, it all starts with a smart architect.

[Mary Bowling]

Hi Jim,
I agree that website useability is extremely important from a visitor's point of view, but I think you may be making some assumptions about whether those factors currently effect your rankings in Google.

Yes, Google has applied for patents on all kinds of things, including how people use a website. However, as Matt Cutts stated at PubCon in Las Vegas, just because Google has something in a patent application, it does not mean that they are currently using it in their algorithm.

[Robert]

Welcome to the forum, Mary!

[Jim_Hedger]

Hi Mary,

I agree this is an assumption. When you get down to it, so is every SEO technique as Google does not distribute a great deal of information about its algorithm. The information that does get out tends to come from patent applications and human trial & error experimentation.

I am betting on the assumption as it fits with a number of Google's stated goals. It's all about trying to sense how relevant a site is in the eyes of the user and the amount of time spent on the site by a visitors, especially if they travelling between documents gives Google an indication of how "valuable" that document is to the user.

That's where usability optimization comes in. Making your site easy for visitors to use tends to mean they stick around longer. That is assumed to be beneficial in Google's eyes. Even if I am incorrect, usability tends to mean a much better experience for site users and an increase in conversions.

Thanks for writing.

[BWelford]

I agree with you, Jim. For me it's a secondary factor, since I think Usability in its own right for human visitors is absolutely critical. But it does have value.

Just to take one item, consider the use of Headings. So many web pages are there like a map and you've got to figure out where you are, whether this is some place you want to be and where you should go next. Having a h1 header at the top that gives the essence of what the page is about helps the human visitor and is very important to the search engine spider. You're winning on both counts.