My Opening Remarks
Marketing in times of a pandemic is a tough nut to crack. There are so many moving parts and so few resources at the disposal of marketers that it has become very hard for them to optimize the usage against the output.
Marketers rely on the optimization of two basic tools:
- SEO
- Web Development
SEO is Search Engine Optimization. It means creating and optimizing content for an entity that positions that entity in favor of the search engine rankings. Primarily, it helps in proving the legitimacy of that entity across the internet while driving organic traffic toward it. Web development, on the other hand, is the tool to build websites that carry information that is optimized to enhance the virtual existence of an entity.
To make the case why web development and SEO go in hand, here are some arguments by me – after research and on the basis of my experience while working as an online marketer.
SEO & Google Help Developers Build Better Apps
Google has devised the rules of play for both SEO and web development professionals. Playing through those rules can help them earn the benefits of improved search ranking and organic traffic through targeted search.
Generally, developers do not concern themselves with the manifestation of their code and go by their own creed. But, adhering to the guidelines provided by the search engines, it is easy to make the best of the applications by reaping massive rewards.
Here are some of the takeaways for developers in this regard:
- App User Friendliness
- Device Compatibility
- Testing & Auditing
App User Interface:
While creating an application, a developer concerns himself only with the concrete data and how to land it on that app. There is little to no room for aesthetics and other abstract notions. In reality, the usage of that application is directly proportional to both data and the ease to access and process it.
Merely spreading out data on the application ticks the box of giving the information. But the interface of the application should be intuitive and friendly enough toward the users that they can easily navigate through the application and arrive at the desired point.
It is important to keep user intent and ease into consideration. Otherwise, the objective of creating an application will not be achieved.
Device Compatibility:
The number of mobile users has surpassed the 50% user landmark a couple of years ago. With the advancement in mobile processing technology and the availability of the internet, a majority of taxing tasks are carried out on mobile devices. This is where web development and SEO come into the picture.
To achieve the desired number of downloads and users, a mobile device application is a must. Some argue that it is best to start with a mobile application because it is easy to run the beta program and fix the bugs before the stable release.
With the growing number of users and easy reach, your application development program is incomplete without a robust mobile application.
Testing & Auditing:
These days, web development and SEO go hand in hand to enhance the virtual presence of a company. This helped the developers test and audit the technical SEO of their applications.
The majority of auditing apps are automated. Some can even be integrated into the development phase so you can get real-time feedback on the build of your application.
There are some limitations and shortcomings in these auditing applications, but there is nothing that cannot be rectified through human intervention.
SEO + Front End Developers = Perfect Search Marketing Team
Web development and SEO were considered incompatible in the past. Now, the line of demarcation between disciplines is fading in the interest of better and swift results. Also, covering both technical and marketing aspects from a single team means getting it done right the first time.
Following are the reasons why webs development and SEO desks in a workspace should be side by side:
- Interdisciplinary Benefits
- Collaboration & Cooperation
Interdisciplinary Benefits:
By combining both web development and SEO forces, we can easily anticipate and solve technical issues that can cause the search ranking of an application to drop. When SEO professionals have web development experience, they can better understand the scope and limitations of the system.
On the other hand, the rise of interactive websites & applications, machine learning, and AI has made it necessary for web development and SEO to join forces and address the technical issues as soon as possible while optimizing the data to rank higher on the search engines. The timely fixed issues may help to survive search engine updates like the next Google Core Web Vitals Update, which demands more developers’ side efforts for SEO.
Collaboration & Cooperation:
Web development and SEO cannot remain indifferent to the changes in either of the industries. Instead of marking the territory, the roles and tasks can be defined to maximize the output through immediate feedback.
There is little innovation and progress without pooling resourcing from both web development and SEO. Rather, it encourages constructive competition and cooperation that leads to novel projects.
SEO in Web Design process
The rationale for a business to have a website is not to upload glossy images and flowery phrases for naught. The survival of companies depends on securing new clients and these online assets serve more as means to an end than the end itself.
Web development and SEO go hand in hand in the web design process, from proposal and planning to all the way to development. It is necessary to allocate screen real estate for different elements based on their importance, such as CTAs, sales funnels, etc.
You can streamline the web designing process by creating a checklist of the things you want and the ways to get them. Also check out the previously posted blog on Hackernoon, which is an SEO web development tutorial for beginners.
Marketing In The New Normal
The march toward digital marketing was started years ago by the major players in the industries. Businesses were slowly shifting their focus and preferences toward digital marketing assets and goals. But, with the rise of COVID-19 and the succeeding quarantine, industries have to adapt or perish.
Marketing during a crisis such as this requires learning on the go and taking big steps toward the right direction. The marriage of web development and SEO is inevitable, more than ever. The need to innovate improved channels of information requires the creation of hybrid disciplines that take the best of two and improve on it.
People are not going out to malls and markets. They are relying on the information provided to them through their smart devices. This is where businesses can shine through updating, optimizing, and conveying information to their prospective clients.
In the light of these drastic changes that are taking place in the world around us, change in the outlook of the marketing industry is necessary. To keep up with digital marketing trends, web development and SEO teams need to pool their resources and redefine their short- and long-term goals for sustainable growth.
Closing Remarks
Web development and SEO work in collaboration through different phases of application and website creation. This allows the professionals to minimize the shortcomings at the earliest. By reducing the friction between the marketing and developers’ teams, key factors, like user interface, user experience, application rankings, etc., can be improved without investing much time and effort later. Combining the two will yield more than their sum.
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