SEO Benefits of Responsive Design
With more people using their smartphones and tablets to browse the internet, it has become increasingly important that websites work across multiple devices. As a front-end development and branding firm, we have embraced this process by implementing a variety of best practices that ensure a seamless experience, no matter what device users are viewing content from.
While using responsive web design, we have noticed that it also supports search engine optimization efforts. Below, we highlight several of these benefits.
Google Loves Responsive Web Design
One of the biggest SEO benefits of responsive web design is the fact that Google not only recommends responsive web design as the best way to target mobile users , but also favors mobile-optimized websites when displaying results for searches made on mobile devices. This holds especially true when mobile users search for services in local markets.
One URL
Another benefit of responsive web design is that you have one url for your website, rather than a separate url for a mobile website. Most separate mobile sites do not rank well in search engines, as they are canonicalized to their desktop counterparts. If you create a mobile url for your website, you will need to build that site’s authority from scratch. Redesigning your website to be responsive will help you maintain your backlinks, letting you focus your SEO on one single site. This allows all of your links to be directed to one URL and not split between one mobile website and one desktop site.
Responsive Curbs High Bounce Rates
High bounce rates can have a negative impact on your search results ranking. Google wants to send users to the sites they are looking for. When these users navigate to your site and immediately return to the search results page, Google makes a note that your site might not be a relevant destination for that search term. Mobile sites that look significantly different from their desktop versions often have higher bounce rates because users are not used to seeing that version of the site. Responsive sites adapt to the user’s screen size, which allows them to use the site they are familiar with.
Brand Aid has been at the forefront of this trend, using responsive web design as our standard practice for several years. As a digital branding agency, we immediately saw the value of building responsive platforms that could provide a consistent experience for users, regardless of their screen sizes.
Contact us today to learn more about how responsive web design can help with your search engine optimization and digital branding efforts.