SEO Usability: Getting found is only half the battle
Presented by: Laura Hernandez, UE Designer / SEO Strategist
October 25, 2007
The first experience most users have with a website begins with a search engine listing. Users rely on a listing to tell them what the page is about, and to create an expectation of the type of content, imagery and functionality they will encounter after the click. Unfortunately, many web pages fail to live up to their impressive, yet overly-optimized listing, causing visitors to race for the back button. This "bounce" experience creates more than a negative opinion of the website. It also influences a customer's opinion of the company and its products and services, both online and offline. Getting found is only half the battle. Making sure that a website's design and user experience lives up to its SEO hype is the key to making them stay, and hopefully come back for more.
In this session, the audience will learn how every page of a site can be optimized as a "landing page" for search engine traffic. We will explore how users interpret both organic and sponsored search engine listings, and what they expect to see on the other side of the link. Tips will be shared on how to prevent visitor bounces, optimize the path to conversion, and communicate a positive brand experience through search. We will also address how internal search engines relate to a site's total user experience, and how search intelligence can be leveraged for usability improvements and merchandising opportunities.
Speaker Bio: Laura Hernandez, UE Designer / SEO Strategist
Laura Hernandez has been practicing search engine optimization (SEO) and web development since 1998. In 2003, she made a natural progression into information architecture and is currently a User Experience Designer with Idea Integration, a leading full-service interactive advertising agency. This diverse background and wide range of industry experience makes her an invaluable resource at any stage of the interactive project lifecycle. She specializes in the optimization of a user's entire search experience, from the results page through a site's path to conversion. Her approach to SEO goes beyond that of traditional search marketers, by utilizing keyword research as the core foundation of a site's architecture, nomenclature, and design. During her nine years of consulting, she has improved the accessibility, usability, and searchability of Web sites for many Fortune 500 clients.