5 Web Design Mistakes That Are Hurting Your SEO and Tips to Fix Them

Your website’s design is the first impression potential clients have of your business. But did you know that design decisions and website structure can make or break your SEO? 

A beautiful website is meaningless if no one can find it online. 

In this article, we’ll explore web design mistakes that could be sabotaging your search engine rankings—and my best SEO web design tips.

My web design partner Em says it well:

“A cluttered website is the digital equivalent of a messy closet…nobody can find what they’re looking for. Search engines and visitors alike crave clarity, so organize your content thoughtfully. Prioritize easy navigation, concise copy, and strategic call-to-actions to keep users engaged and your SEO efficient.”

– Em White, Showit & Squarespace Web Designer, Soulful Web Design Studio

Overloading Pages with Large, Unoptimized Images

Images are a must-have for a visually appealing site, especially for creative professionals like photographers and designers. However, large, uncompressed images can really slow down your site, which negatively impacts user experience and SEO rankings.

Google prioritizes fast-loading sites, and slow pages can lead to higher bounce rates, signaling to search engines that your content isn’t relevant since people are quickly leaving your site.

Optimize Your Images

Compress your images using tools like TinyJPG, and choose the WebP format for better quality with smaller file sizes.

“A slow-loading website because the images are HUGE. A lot of DIYers don’t compress their images, and while it’s not directly SEO-related—it’ll make people leave your website, which will negatively affect your SEO because Google thinks your website isn’t helping answer the person’s question or problem.”

– Hannah Davis, Showit website designer, Made With Boldness 

Ignoring Mobile Optimization

With over half of web traffic coming from mobile devices, a site that isn’t mobile-friendly will struggle to rank well. Non-responsive designs frustrate users, leading to fewer clicks and conversions.

Google’s mobile-first indexing means it primarily uses the mobile version of your site for ranking and indexing.

Test Your Site’s Mobile Responsiveness

Test your site’s responsiveness using tools like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test. Adjust layouts, fonts, and navigation to ensure seamless usability on smaller screens. Pro tip: make sure your font is never smaller than 12 pt.

Stuffing Keywords Everywhere

Keyword optimization is an important part of SEO, but going overboard can hurt your rankings. Placing the same keyword repeatedly across your site can make your content look unnatural and spammy, alienating both users and search engines. 

Search engines like Google have advanced algorithms that penalize sites for keyword stuffing. Instead of improving your rankings, it can harm your credibility and drive visitors away.

Similarly, placing multiple unrelated keywords on one page can confuse Google.

According to Martine, one of the biggest design mistakes that can harm SEO is:

“thinking as a new business owner that the more keywords you add the better… that the best way to get “friendzoned” by your new crush Google.”

– Martine, Dubsado Certified Specialist for Designers & Creatives, Streamlined by Martine

Natural Keyword Placement

Focus on creating high-quality content with natural keyword placement. Use synonyms and related terms, and only include keywords where they make sense. Tools like SEMrush or Google Keyword Planner can help you find those golden keywords!

Overcomplicating Navigation 

A complicated or cluttered menu can confuse visitors and prevent search engines from easily crawling your site. Users (and bots) should be able to find key pages with just a few clicks.

Clear, logical navigation helps search engines understand your site’s structure and improves user experience, both of which are key ranking factors.

Simplify Your Menu

Simplify your menu structure and group related content under dropdowns. Include a sitemap to guide both visitors and search engines.

Relying Too Heavily on Fancy Design Features

From parallax scrolling to auto-play videos, some web design elements may look impressive but come with a cost. Heavy JavaScript, excessive animations, and other resource-intensive features can hurt your site’s loading speed and accessibility.

Search engines prioritize user experience, and overly complex designs often backfire by slowing your site or making it harder to navigate.

Using headers that aren’t intentional and more fluffy can also harm your site and create confusion for both humans and bots alike.

Create Clarity

One of my best SEO web design tips is to simplify and provide clarity! Prioritize a clean, fast-loading website that helps users quickly understand your brand message.

“There’s SO many, but I think my top would be using playful/more decorative text as headings – like “hey there” “welcome” “the blog” etc. Instead of using heading tags to get a particular typography style, they should be used strategically to be as descriptive as possible. heading styles/classes should be applied directly to the supporting text elements to give them a certain look, without taking away from your actual heading structure.”

– Amie, Web Development and Design Studio, M’DAM Studio

Failing to Optimize for Accessibility

Accessible websites aren’t just a legal or ethical requirement—they’re also beneficial for SEO. When your site is usable by everyone, including those with disabilities, you naturally improve its structure and usability.

Accessibility features like alt text, keyboard-friendly navigation, and proper heading structures make your site more inclusive and easier for search engines to crawl.

Follow Accessibility Guidelines

Follow guidelines from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to ensure your site is accessible to all users.

Your website design and SEO should work together to create a seamless experience for users and search engines. Avoiding these common mistakes can significantly improve your rankings and keep visitors engaged.