I spend a lot of time looking at websites as a website designer, and I see the same two problems everywhere. On one side, you have these really beautiful websites that look like they belong in a design museum with gorgeous photography, perfect colors, and stunning typography. But when I dig into their analytics, they’re getting 10 visitors or less a month from Google. No one can find them.
On the other side, you have websites that rank number one for their keywords but look like they were assembled by someone who studied HTML back in 2003. Here’s what kills me about this whole thing – both approaches leave serious money on the table.
Today I’m talking about why you don’t need to choose between a website that looks beautiful or one that actually works for your business, and how you can create a website that both your dream clients and Google will love.
The False Choice That’s Costing You Money
I find that business owners fall into one of two camps. They focus on beautiful design and say SEO doesn’t matter, or they’re completely focused on search engines and forget about the humans actually looking at their websites.
Both approaches are backwards, and here’s why each one fails.
Beautiful But Invisible Websites
The first type looks like it belongs in a design museum. Everything is gorgeous and breathtaking – the imagery, colors, typography all work in perfect harmony. Maybe there are some elegant animations that make the experience feel premium.
But it’s getting zero Google traffic. Nothing. It’s all style with no search strategy.
The investment was made entirely in looks, not in being found. It’s like having the most beautiful store with gorgeous items, but it’s located where no one in town can find it.
These websites usually have high conversion rates when people do find them, but they’re severely limited by the tiny number of visitors they receive.
SEO Monster Websites
On the opposite side, you have websites that look like they were built in 1999 and somehow never updated. They show up on Google because keywords have been stuffed into every possible location.
When you read the content, it sounds like a robot wrote it because words and locations are repeated unnaturally. You find yourself questioning whether sentences even make sense.
People click over from Google searches but immediately leave because of terrible first impressions. It’s like having a prime downtown location for your shop but with such a disgusting storefront that nobody wants to enter.
These sites get traffic but don’t convert because they fail the basic test of looking professional and trustworthy.
Why Google Rewards User Experience Now
Here’s what many people don’t understand about modern SEO – Google got really smart about user experience. Years ago, you could game the system with keyword tricks and technical manipulation. Google just wanted to see you did everything “right” technically.
But Google now cares deeply about how users actually interact with websites. If people visit your site and immediately leave, Google notices and adjusts rankings accordingly. If visitors stay, click through multiple pages, and return later, Google sees that as a signal of quality.
This is why the “SEO monster” approach backfires. Even with perfect technical SEO, if users hate the experience, Google will eventually penalize those sites.
Beautiful sites naturally get better engagement, which Google rewards. Sites with poor design get higher bounce rates, which hurts their search rankings over time.
What Google Actually Wants in 2025
Google wants to know if people like your site, and they measure this through user behavior signals like how long visitors stay, whether they click to other pages, what their user journey looks like, and if they return.
This means several technical factors directly impact your search rankings, but they’re all related to user experience.
Site Speed Matters More Than Ever
If you have a beautiful site with lots of images, those images need to be properly compressed. I covered this extensively in episode 98 about website images killing SEO.
Your design should be clean and load fast. Sophisticated animations or features that cause slow loading will hurt both user experience and search rankings.
Mobile Experience Is Non-Negotiable
People visit your site on phones and tablets. Does your mobile version actually work? Can visitors easily click buttons, view images, and complete actions on smaller screens?
This isn’t just about responsive design – it’s about creating a swift, intuitive mobile user experience.
Design Choices That Serve SEO
Every design decision should enhance user experience, which automatically improves SEO. Here’s how to marry beauty and strategy.
Headlines That Speak to Humans and Search Engines Your hero section headline needs to be compelling for your ideal client while including relevant keywords. For me, “website designer” is a keyword – it doesn’t have to be complicated.
Strategic Navigation Structure Keep navigation simple with five items or less. This helps user experience and tells Google exactly what you offer. My navigation includes services like website design and website audits, making it clear to visitors and search engines what I provide.
Images That Work Double Duty Photos should be beautiful and show the benefits clients receive while having proper alt text that helps Google understand your content and improves accessibility.
Engaging Content That Answers Search Questions Your content needs to be engaging while answering questions people actually search for. Don’t just stuff random question headers into your text – weave answers naturally into compelling copy.
The Integration Strategy That Actually Works
Stop thinking about SEO and beautiful design as separate things. They work hand in hand when done correctly.
Ask yourself this question about every element on your site – does this help both people and search engines? If it helps people, it’s going to help search engines too.
When I design websites, I focus on marrying beauty and strategy. Every choice considers how potential clients will navigate the site, and when something makes sense for humans, it automatically makes sense for Google.
Your Quick SEO and Design Audit
Here are three things you can check this week to ensure Google notices your website while maintaining great user experience.
Image Compression Check
If you listened to last week’s episode about website images and SEO, compress the important images on your hero section, services page, and high-traffic blog posts.
Headline Optimization
Write headlines that sound human but include relevant keywords in your H1 tags. Your homepage headline should immediately tell visitors what you do while including searchable terms.
Mobile Experience Test
Check that your site looks good and functions properly on phones. Ensure people can access what they need, click buttons easily, and navigate clearly on mobile devices.
These simple changes can make a significant difference in both user experience and search performance.
Why This Integration Matters for Your Business
Beautiful websites that can’t be found waste your design investment. SEO-optimized sites that repel visitors waste your traffic potential.
When you integrate both approaches, you create a website that attracts the right people through search and converts them into clients through great design and user experience.
Google doesn’t want you to choose between beautiful and functional anymore. They want websites that people actually enjoy using, and they reward sites that provide great user experiences.
Ready to Stop Leaving Money on the Table?
If you’re not sure whether your website is findable in Google, or if you have a decent-looking site that needs SEO strategy, or if you’re getting search traffic but poor conversion rates, it might be time for a professional assessment.
I offer website audits where I analyze both your design and SEO performance, then provide specific recommendations for improvement.
Your website should work around the clock to attract ideal clients and make you money. When you stop treating design and SEO as competing priorities and start seeing them as complementary strategies, you’ll create a website that truly works for your business.
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Remember, the goal isn’t to choose sides in some imaginary battle between beauty and functionality. The goal is creating a website that both your dream clients and Google will love – because when you succeed at both, that’s when real business growth happens.
