Why SEO isn’t enough any more

SEO, or search engine organisation, is the process of optimising a website in order to improve organic results from Internet search engines. Its fundamental purpose is to achieve a high ranking in search engine results for specific keywords, That, in turn, contributes to increased website traffic, which can improve revenue.

What activities does SEO encompass? Positioning a website involves working on the site itself, which is know as on-page SEO, and beyond it, or off-page SEO. Aspects of on-page SEO include optimising content, meta tags, link structures and other facets of the site, while the focus of off-page SEO is on obtaining valuable backlinks and building the site’s reputation and authority. One very important thing should be kept in mind. SEO is a dynamic field that constantly evolves in tandem with changes to search engine algorithms. An effective SEO strategy therefore demands that a website is continually monitored, analysed and adjusted to shifting market and technological conditions.

Let’s stay with SEO a moment longer, since it’s also worth looking at the activities that make up SEO positioning.

Technical SEO is the crucial basis for effective website optimisation. It facilitates the optimisation of URL structures and the removal of 404 errors, as well as improving the indexation performed by search engines. Implementing canonical tags, robots.txt files and a site map are just some of the technical SEO activities that support the efficacy of work on positioning.

Off-page SEO encompasses activities undertaken beyond a website in order to improve its search engine ranking. The key aspects here are building values and natural links, also known as organic links, analysing the profiles of backlinks and eliminating toxic elements.

On-page SEO concentrates on strategies applied directly on a website for the purpose of improving its visibility in search results. Optimising keywords, metatags, content and link structure are the pivotal elements and they have an impact on effective positioning.

UX, or user experience, refers to a user’s entire experience during their interaction with a product, services, website or application. The purpose of UX is to provide the user with an intuitive, positive and satisfying experience that meets their needs and expectations.

The elements of UX encompass every aspect of a user’s interaction with the product. This includes navigation, content readability, an interface that’s comfortable to use, page loading speed, responsiveness and the overall usability and value enjoyed by the user.

A well-designed UX can lead to increased user engagement, lower abandonment rates and a rise in conversions. It can also contribute to building a positive brand image. This makes it a vital element of the design and optimisation of websites, mobile applications and other digital products.

As mentioned earlier in this article, SEO is a dynamic field where conditions are dictated by changing algorithms. SXO is a response to Google’s new algorithms. It checks whether a website is responding both to a user’s query and to their needs in terms of the website itself. Here, one critical aspect is refining the site in terms of user interface design (UI) and UX.

SXO positioning isn’t just about attracting potential clients/customers to the site, but also getting them to stay and make a purchase or, in the case of services, download a PDF guide or fill in a contact form.

In addition to the typical technical, off- and on-page SEO activities, SXO adds several other elements that make contact with the website a better experience:

• good, high-quality content: good, informative content is a key to success in attaining a high search engine ranking. A client/customer uses a search engine to look for information, a service or a product that will help them eliminate pain points or fulfil their expectations and wishes. It’s worth emphasising that content should be adjusted to the user. Everyone, regardless of their educational background or level of disability, should have access to the information on the website. 

It’s also important to add that unrefined, inexpert use of AI to create content is becoming steadily less profitable. Yes, the world went wild about it and just about everyone has come into contact with it. However, if AI is used clumsily for content creation, with little or no skilled human creativity and control, it may well end up being of no value whatsoever. In fact, there’s even a risk that it will be detrimental to SEO results, since Google has already announced that ranking for content written by AI will be worse. Therefore – it is extremely important to fuse AI with human expertise, to achieve true Intelligence Amplified effect;

• bringing a website in line with the UX design assumptions: the term ‘UX’ encompasses many more guidelines than this article can cover, so I will only mention the most crucial ones here. They include adjusting a website for mobile applications, designing straightforward navigation based on information architecture (IA), creating intuitive navigation in terms of user journey, keeping pop-ups to an absolute minimum and adapting the site to the premises of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines; 
• cost optimisation: to an extent, this point continues the topic of UX. If the design of a website doesn’t align with good UX practice, then the next step, in other words, development, could have an impact on SEO. However, with the use of the right headers, improving the code, such as HTML, for instance, will enhance not only the site’s ranking, but also its accessibility. Another important aspect is improving the JavaScript code in order to optimise page loading.

Working on optimising a website requires a variety of tools and platforms. Tools like Semrush, Ahrefs and Moz are extremely helpful for keyword analysis and monitoring search engine ranking. Google Search Console, on the other hand, is irreplaceable when it comes to monitoring and analysing website performance on Google. Screaming Frog conducts technical audits of websites. In addition, tools like Surfer SEO provide an analysis of content and optimisation on the basis of competitor data. Process automation and generating reports are becoming increasingly crucial, which is why automation tools like Zapier and SEMrush Workflow are pivotal to effective SEO campaign management, as are report generation tools such as Google Data Studio and Moz Pro.

Website optimisation is a dynamic, multifaceted process that demands consideration of technical aspects and user needs. SXO is the new standard. It combines both these elements in order to ensure not only high search engine ranking, but also an enjoyable user experience.

At MakoLab, our experience, technical skills and SEO tools mean that we have the capability to deliver comprehensive solutions that meet the demands of the latest algorithms and user needs. When you partner with MakoLab and turn to our services, there is no risk of poor AI usage lowering your SEO ranking. Why? Because we began developing intelligence amplified (IA), our pioneering approach, in 2008. IA is much more than artificial intelligence. It is technology infused with human expertise to drive innovation and efficiency. 

AI is embedded in what we do as a powerful tool supporting the central, human factor. “Content is king” and IA enables us to leverage AI for you, not only to enhance the quality of your content enormously, but also in other crucial ways that deserve an explanatory article of their own. At the same time, our ISO 27001-certified information security management system rigorously protects your data and privacy as we take you to the cutting edge of SXO and your site to the top.