SEO vs. User Experience: Where Do You Draw The Line?

I know what you're probably thinking, "Doesn't proper SEO make a website easier to use?". The answer to that question is yes... sort of. SEO, or Search Engine Optimization should, by default, make your website easier to navigate. When you address SEO you build your site so that Google will be able to "crawl" your pages and assign meaning to your website. So you go and add links, and assemble a coherent site map and then design pages with "obvious" content. This way Google, and theoretically your customers, can peruse your site and find what they need.

That all sounds well and good, but there are some areas where SEO can hurt the overall user experience on your website. One thing I've run into many of times as a marketer is people that try to over optimize. They insist that everything must be keyword-filled and every web decision must be made with SEO in mind. They don't understand that people use sites, and read content, in a different way than Google's spiders. Because of this they sacrifice several key areas of their web quality to attempt to show up as high as possible in search results

The first problem you run in to is your actual written content. I've heard from many people, and have experienced myself, that writing for SEO is counter-intuitive to writing a flowing and cohesive piece. The idea that specific keywords have to be inserted into sentences and paragraphs jams the creative flow of words. I've written many blog posts for clients that start as great ideas and, after optimized, are left as boring and generic posts. It makes it difficult to write catchy headlines, and enticing subheads. This is the result of wanting too much to squeeze every ounce of "Google Juice" out of your content, and the effect is a website that doesn't promote being read, and by extension, being explored.

Another area where you can over optimize is with your overall web content architecture. I've seen many people that insist that they house their blog internally on their site, or insist that every piece of content they can publish exist somewhere on their website. They forgo using easy third-party tools because they don't get credit for the content. They don't want to miss any possible opportunity to gain favor with Google. This makes for websites that are dozens of pages deep. They have sites that require a ton of clicks to drill down and find the information you need, and then they are confused when the find that no one is willing to search and find certain pages.

So the question becomes, "Where do you draw the line?". The answer to that question is simple; do all of the SEO that helps people navigate your site and/or exists in the background. Make sure that your meta tags, alt tags, title tags, etc. are all in place and make sure you have keyword links and page titles whenever possible. All that being said, your site is supposed to be designed with the end-user in mind. It should be created to provide the easiest path from your homepage to your purchase page. Your first priority should be to create the best content you can and make people want to look around your page.

SEO is not only a worthwhile endeavor, but should be considered a "must-have" in your digital marketing strategy, but, like most things in life, you can have too much of a good thing.