Why Design Alone Isn’t Enough
Your website can look amazing, but if no one finds it, what’s the point? Or worse, if they do find it but can’t figure out what to do next, you’re leaving money on the table. That’s where SEO focused design comes in. This guide gives you a blueprint that builds in search visibility.
We’ll break it down for both beginners and advanced users, so you can implement what you need right now.
Part 1: SEO for Beginners – Get the Basics Right
Start with a clear audience and offer. Use simple, keyword-rich titles and URLs that make people want to click. Structure your content around real buyer questions, not fluff. Add keywords naturally and focus on making it easy for visitors to take action with clear CTAs and mobile-friendly design.
Know Your Visitor Before You Write
Before you touch a headline or keyword tool, figure out:
- Who is this page for?
- What do they want?
- What are you offering them?
Example: If you’re a web designer in Ottawa, your audience is likely small business owners. They need a site that drives leads. Your offer? A no-obligation strategy call.
One-sentence promise: "We design Ottawa websites that bring in leads."
Write Titles, Metas & URLs That Click
Google shows three things in every search result: your title, meta description, and URL. Google uses your title when formulating the SERP.
Google doesn't have to use your meta description in its results so please remember this isn't an absolute.
Example: Let's say you are a web design company in Ottawa and let's consider the home page.
Bad: "Home"
Better: "Ottawa Web Design That Wins Leads | Ignite"
The format: [descriptive text of the page] | [brand name] - up to 75 characters.
Meta: "Get a website in Ottawa that converts. Fast, AODA-ready, and lead-focused. Book your free strategy call."
URL: https://ottawawebdesign.ca
Bonus: if you are using Digital Essentials or Members Village URL generation is automated.
Answer Real Buyer Questions with Page Sections
People Google what they care about. Your site should mirror those questions and answers using sections.
Use headings (H1, H2) to create sections with context as per:
- Use one H1 per page
- Use multiple H2's which add value to the top H1
Example for our own home page:
H1: Websites that convert for associations, SMBs, and charities.
H2: Digital Essentials – For Small Businesses
H2: Websites that attract. Branding that connects. CRMs and e-commerce that grow your revenue.
Bonus: if you are using Digital Essentials or Members Village you get to use blocks which are preformatted with SEO friendly headings.
Use Simple Keywords, Naturally
Forget stuffing keyword, a practice which injects the search terms your customers may use, and instead:
- Keep it natural. If it reads awkward, Google notices.
- Use your main term in the H1 and a few H2s.
- Keep to the subject matter and only sprinkle variants like "website design Ottawa" in body text.
Example for our own home page (we want to be found for "Ottawa Web Design"):
H1: Websites that convert for associations, SMBs, and charities.
H2: Digital Essentials – For Small Businesses
H2: Websites that attract. Branding that connects. CRMs and e-commerce that grow your revenue.
Make It Easy to Convert
You did the hard part: got them to your site.
What now?
- Show a clear CTA above the fold.
- Repeat a clear CTA throughout your content
- Use a short form (Name, Email, URL).
- Add trust chips such as: "Since 2006," "100+ launches," etc.
Bonus: if you are using Digital Essentials or Members Village you get usage of call-to-action blocks which enable you to create CTA's easily.
Part 2: Advanced SEO – Boost Performance & Trust
Level up your site with smarter internal linking, faster load times, and accessible design. Add schema markup to help Google understand your content and improve visibility. Focus on Core Web Vitals, AODA compliance, and connecting your pages for better user flow and search rankings.
Link Smarter, Internally
Internal links, links which refer visitors to your own pages and articles, do two things:
- Help users navigate to relevant content.
- Pass SEO authority.
Link from your homepage, blogs, and other service pages using anchor text like "Ottawa web design team."
Bonus: if you are using Digital Essentials or Members Village you can create internal links easily.
Speed Matters: Core Web Vitals Basics
Google cares about site speed. So do visitors. Speed isn't going to make or break your SEO but it is a factor.
Key metrics:
- LCP (Largest Contentful Paint):
- CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift):
- INP (Interaction to Next Paint):
- How? Compress images, use WebP, lazy-load below the fold, avoid carousels.
- Uptime: maintain an uptime of 99.9%+
Resource: https://pagespeed.web.dev
We use this tool to gain insights into site speed and as of today our own website received a score of: 62/100/81/100 - and we understand why, a video which we feel provides more value even at the cost of score.
Resource: https://stats.uptimerobot.com/8rP7HjRJR
A third-party uptime monitor you can use to see how your server is performing.
Make It Accessible (and AODA Compliant)
Accessibility = good ethics + smart SEO.
- Add alt text to all images
- Use logical heading order (H1 > H2 > H3...)
- Check contrast ratios
- Make focus states visible
If you're in Ontario, AODA compliance is law.
Resource: We use WAVE audit tool, among others, to inspect and fix any accessibility issues.
PageSpeed Insights also provides some insight into accessibility issues. Two birds with one stone kind of scenario.
Use Schema to Help Google Help You
Schema is behind-the-scenes code that tells search engines what your page is about.
Start with:
- LocalBusiness
- Service ("Web Design")
- areaServed: Ottawa, ON
- BreadcrumbList
- FAQPage
- Sitemap.xml
It can earn you rich results within Google (stars, FAQ dropdowns).
Bonus: When using Digital Essentials or Members Village schema creation is automated for you, so there is no additional effort!
Secure Your Site with SSL (HTTPS)
Google favours secure sites and so do your visitors. An SSL certificate ensures your site loads over HTTPS, protecting data like form submissions. Without it, browsers now display a “Not Secure” warning that can scare people away.
- Always use HTTPS across your whole site.
- Redirect all old HTTP URLs to the secure version.
- Check for mixed content errors (non-HTTPS images or scripts).
Example: With SSL, your site shows the secure padlock in the browser bar. Visitors know their data is safe, and Google gives your site a small ranking boost for using HTTPS.
More trust, fewer bounces, and better SEO.
Bonus: if you are using Digital Essentials or Members Village you get an SSL for each of your hosted domains included.
Final Words
Your website should work hard, not just have a pretty website design. We hope this blueprint helps you design with SEO in mind, right from the start.
Whether you're building a new site or improving an old one, these steps make sure your site gets seen and gets results.
Here is a full recap:
| Topic | Why | How | Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Define Intent, Audience, Offer | Pages only work when they match visitor needs. | Write a one-sentence promise: what the page offers and to whom. | Clear focus attracts the right visitors and drives conversions. |
| Titles, Metas & URLs | These show up in Google search—your first impression. | Use keyword-rich, benefit-focused titles and short URLs. | Higher click-through rates and stronger rankings. |
| Answer Buyer Questions | People Google questions, not features. | Turn common queries into H2 sections. | More cha nces to rank + more helpful content. |
| Use Keywords Naturally | Keyword stuffing looks spammy to users and Google. | Sprinkle variants naturally in headings and copy. | Better readability and SEO without penalties. |
| Make It Easy to Convert | Visitors leave if the next step isn’t obvious. | Add clear CTAs, short forms, and trust chips. | Higher lead generation and conversions. |
| Internal Linking | Helps users navigate and spreads SEO authority. | Link between services, blogs, and key pages. | Stronger rankings and longer site visits. |
| Core Web Vitals (Speed) | Google ranks faster, smoother sites higher. | Compress images, use lazy-loading, avoid carousels. | Better rankings, lower bounce rates, happier users. |
| Accessibility (AODA) | Inclusive sites reach more people and meet legal standards. | Add alt text, proper headings, contrast checks. | Better usability + compliance + SEO boost. |
| Schema Markup | Search engines need context to understand your site. | Add JSON-LD for LocalBusiness, Service, FAQ. | Rich results in Google and higher click-throughs. |
| SSL (HTTPS) | Browsers mark non-HTTPS sites as “Not Secure.” | Install SSL, force HTTPS, fix mixed content. | Builds trust, protects data, and improves rankings. |
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