We can finally say it: the fight between SEO and UX is over. It's time for reconciliation and especially collaboration . Discover in this article what the differences are between these two approaches and how they should work together to improve the conversion of your web project .
SEO vs. UX: The Outdated Battle. In the photo, we see 2 people working on a project. There is the presence of paper mockups and a computer
What are the fundamental differences between SEO and UX?
SEO and UX Writing do not have the same objectives, basically. The first is used to gain visibility on search engines and therefore to improve the number of visits. The second seeks to retain visitors on the site and convert them by offering them a positive experience . The techniques used are therefore not the same, but are they incompatible? Because in concrete terms, one cannot work without the other: what is the point of offering a top-notch experience if no one arrives on the site? And vice versa... To fully understand the problem existing between these two approaches, let's see what their specificities are.
SEO: A Story of Keywords and Links
SEO is a set of techniques that all serve the same purpose: to obtain the best possible position on the SERP , the search engine results page. The criteria that the latter take into account are numerous, very varied and evolve according to updates. Here are some examples:
Page loading speed;
Security (HTTPS protocol);
Optimized for smartphones (Google Mobile First Index);
Information architecture;
User behavior (bounce rate, return speed, next search, etc.);
Internal mesh ;
Quantity, but above all quality of incoming links;
Use of keywords;
Optimization of titles, tags, etc.
Taking voice search into consideration ;
Quality of content.
The list is actually much longer! It is generally estimated that there are more than 200 ranking criteria.
Good SEO therefore allows you to gain places in search moj database results, but also to qualify users thanks to an intelligent keyword strategy allowing you to sort the different search intentions . It therefore contributes to improving conversion .
For example, the keyword "rocking chair" reflects an intention to gather information . Even if it is important for an e-commerce that sells them to position itself on it, it is a priori not very effective from a conversion point of view. The keywords "where to buy a rocking chair" and "cheap rocking chair" clearly indicate an intention to purchase . They therefore have a better conversion potential.
UX Design: A story of experience and connection (but not in the same sense)
If SEO seeks to convince search engine robots, UX Writing aims to seduce users . To do this, long content (value proposition, sales pitch, blog articles, etc.) and micro-content (buttons, menus , CTAs, forms, etc.) are the subject of specific work. They must:
Reflect the brand image;
Allow the creation of a connection with the audience through emotion;
Improve engagement and retention through a seamless and, where possible, personalized experience.
UX is therefore the main key to conversion once the Internet user has arrived on the site. As the user experiences increasingly fluidly on applications and platforms, their requirements only increase. Optimizing your UX is therefore no longer an option.
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SEO and UX: allies to achieve performance
While SEO and UX have different objectives and operating methods at their core , the evolution of the Google search engine is now tending to bring them closer together. The number 1 search engine is indeed looking for an ever-increasing quality of response and in 2021 implemented the Core Web Vitals , a set of new criteria that measure the UX of sites .
Because a site where the experience is bad will quickly be shunned by users and therefore considered by Google as a bad answer to a given query. Let us never forget that the objective of a search engine is to provide satisfactory answers to users .
UX is therefore now considered an essential lever for natural referencing . In fact, this is just giving the ball back to SEO, some of whose historical criteria have always served UX, such as page loading speed or security . Who returns to a site after having sensitive data stolen.
