Your Website Should Be Built for People, Not Just Google.

Beyond Google Rankings: What Makes a Website Truly Successful?

Why successful website design requires the right balance of user experience, SEO, originality and business results.

There is a growing problem with modern websites. Many businesses are investing heavily in search engine optimisation (SEO), following recommended design practices and producing endless amounts of content, yet their websites are becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish from their competitors.

The layouts are familiar. The messaging is predictable. The same keywords appear repeatedly, and the content often feels like it has been written to satisfy an algorithm rather than communicate with an actual person.

It’s an interesting contradiction. Businesses are investing more than ever in their online presence, but in the pursuit of search engine visibility, some are losing the very qualities that make them worth choosing.

As a freelance web designer and developer, I’ve always believed that a website should serve a much bigger purpose than simply appearing in Google search results.

A successful website needs to attract the right audience, communicate genuine value, establish trust and encourage meaningful action.

SEO is an essential part of that process, but it shouldn’t dictate every design decision, paragraph or interaction.

The real opportunity lies in creating websites that work exceptionally well for people while remaining technically accessible, discoverable and understandable to search engines.

Has SEO Made Websites Too Similar?

In January 2024, The Verge published an interesting article, How Google perfected the web, exploring how Google’s influence has shaped the appearance, structure and content of websites.

The article raises an interesting question: when millions of website owners are following similar SEO recommendations, does the internet gradually lose its originality?

I think there is a strong argument that it does.

Look at almost any competitive industry. You’ll regularly encounter websites using remarkably similar layouts, generic messaging and predictable content structures.

Headlines often promise quality service, trusted solutions or industry-leading expertise, followed by paragraphs that could belong to virtually any business in that sector.

There is nothing inherently wrong with familiar design patterns. In fact, consistency can improve usability because people already understand how certain website elements work.

The problem begins when businesses confuse familiarity with effectiveness.

A website can follow every popular design trend and still fail to communicate why someone should choose that business over its competitors.

I don’t believe Google is entirely responsible for this. Website templates, automated content generation, competitor imitation and repetitive SEO strategies have all contributed.

The result is an increasing number of websites that are technically functional but lack a distinctive identity. And in competitive markets, being memorable matters.

Many websites follow the same predictable layouts, structures, and content strategies, resulting in cookie-cutter designs that lack originality, fail to differentiate businesses from their competitors, and ultimately deliver a less engaging user experience.

What Does People-First Website Design Actually Mean?

People-first website design is an approach that prioritises the needs, expectations and goals of website visitors while supporting the objectives of the business.

Rather than beginning with search engine rankings, page layouts or visual trends, the process starts with understanding the audience.

Who are they? What problems are they trying to solve? What information do they need? And what would give them the confidence to make an enquiry, request a quote or purchase a product?

These questions influence everything from the website’s navigation and content hierarchy to its messaging, visual presentation and calls to action.

For example, a customer visiting a trades business website might want to quickly confirm three things:

• Does the business provide the service I need?
• Does it service my location?
• Can I trust it to do the job properly?

If those answers are buried beneath lengthy introductions, repetitive keywords or unnecessary design elements, the website creates friction rather than removing it.

The same principle applies to professional services, eCommerce websites and larger organisations, although their audiences and decision-making processes may be very different.

Good user experience (UX) is about making the right information available, understandable and accessible at the moment someone needs it.

That doesn’t mean websites should be stripped back to basic layouts with minimal personality. A distinctive visual identity, engaging content and thoughtful interactions can all contribute to a better experience.

The challenge is ensuring those creative decisions support the visitor’s journey rather than distract from it.

Search Engine Visibility Is Important, but Traffic Alone Isn’t Success

One of the most common misconceptions about website performance is that more traffic automatically means better results. It doesn’t.

A website could attract thousands of organic visitors every month without generating meaningful enquiries or sales.

Meanwhile, another website receiving considerably less traffic could consistently attract more qualified leads because its content, messaging and user experience are better aligned with its audience.

Consider a hypothetical example.

• Website A attracts 5,000 monthly visitors and generates 10 enquiries, producing a conversion rate of 0.2%.
• Website B attracts 1,500 monthly visitors but generates 45 enquiries, producing a conversion rate of 3%.

Despite receiving significantly less traffic, Website B generates substantially more potential business opportunities.

Of course, enquiry numbers aren’t the only consideration. Lead quality, acquisition costs and actual sales outcomes matter too.

The example illustrates an important point: the value of website traffic depends on what happens after someone arrives.

This is why I approach website performance as three interconnected objectives.

1. Visibility: Helping the right people discover the website through organic search, referrals, paid advertising and other relevant channels.
2. Engagement: Creating an experience that communicates value, answers questions and gives visitors confidence in the business.
3. Conversion: Making it straightforward for visitors to take the next appropriate action, whether that’s submitting an enquiry, making a purchase, booking an appointment or requesting more information.

When these three elements work together, a website becomes more than an online brochure. It becomes a valuable business asset.

Why SEO and User Experience Should Work Together

The idea that businesses must choose between optimising for Google and creating an engaging website is misleading.

In practice, effective SEO and thoughtful UX often support the same objectives.

Google’s own documentation on creating helpful, reliable, people-first content encourages website owners to focus on delivering genuine value rather than producing content primarily to manipulate search rankings. That is an important distinction.

SEO isn’t inherently about writing repetitive keywords, following rigid templates or satisfying arbitrary content scores. At its best, SEO helps search engines discover, understand and present relevant information to people looking for it.

There are several areas where SEO and UX naturally overlap.

Clear website structure and navigation

An organised website helps visitors find relevant information without unnecessary effort. It also gives search engines clearer pathways to discover related pages and understand how different topics and services connect.

Helpful and original content

Content should answer genuine customer questions, explain products or services accurately and demonstrate why the information is useful. Relevant keywords still matter, but they should fit naturally within content written for the intended audience.

Mobile-friendly and accessible design

Visitors should be able to navigate, read and interact with a website across different devices and accessibility needs.

An attractive desktop layout means very little if mobile visitors struggle to complete an enquiry form or access important information.

Website performance and loading speed

A slow website creates unnecessary friction, particularly for visitors using mobile devices. Performance optimisation should therefore be considered part of the user experience, not simply an exercise in improving Google PageSpeed scores.

For example, while optimising an eCommerce website, I helped improve its Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) from approximately six seconds to around 1.5 seconds.

LCP measures how quickly the largest visible content element appears on the screen. Improving it can make a website feel noticeably faster for visitors.

That doesn’t automatically guarantee better rankings or more sales, but it addresses a genuine usability issue. Google’s page experience documentation confirms that Core Web Vitals are used by its ranking systems, while also explaining that perfect performance scores don’t guarantee top rankings. The goal should be a fast, reliable and engaging website, not simply a perfect score in a testing tool.

A great example of this is the Chemist Warehouse website, which demonstrates how great performance and a refined, user-friendly design can prioritise intuitive navigation, easy product discovery and a seamless online shopping experience.

SEO Should Be Part of the Strategy From Day One

Although I strongly support putting people first, I don’t believe SEO should be left until the website is finished.

In fact, doing so can introduce problems that are expensive and time-consuming to correct.

Search engine considerations should be incorporated early in the website planning process, alongside content strategy, design and usability. This includes understanding relevant search intent, developing a logical information architecture, planning service pages and establishing a sensible URL structure.

It also means considering internal linking, technical accessibility, mobile responsiveness and how important content will be presented.

For example, a business investing in a new website might need dedicated pages for its core services. Those pages shouldn’t exist simply because an SEO tool identifies opportunities for additional keywords. They should exist because customers genuinely benefit from having clear, detailed information about each service. Likewise, local landing pages should provide meaningful information relevant to the locations being targeted rather than simply repeating identical content with different suburb names.

My approach is to incorporate SEO into the foundation of a website without allowing it to compromise the experience being created for the customer.

That balance is far more sustainable than treating SEO as an afterthought or allowing it to control every decision.

Originality, Experience and Trust Matter More Than Generic Claims

A polished design can create a positive first impression, but trust is generally built through evidence.

Anyone can publish a website claiming to deliver exceptional service or outstanding results.

Demonstrating those claims is considerably more valuable.

This is where experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness, commonly referred to as E-E-A-T, become relevant.

From my perspective, a business website should demonstrate expertise through substance rather than relying entirely on promotional language.

That might include detailed case studies, original photography, clearly explained processes, relevant qualifications, genuine customer reviews or practical insights from completed projects.

When creating case studies, for instance, I believe it’s far more useful to explain the client’s original challenge, the decisions made throughout the project and the measurable outcomes than simply publish a collection of attractive screenshots.

The same applies to educational content.

A well-written article that explains a topic using practical examples and first-hand experience can offer significantly more value than a generic article written to target a collection of keywords.

The goal isn’t to repeatedly tell visitors that a business is experienced. It’s to give them enough evidence to reach that conclusion themselves.

This creates a stronger experience for potential customers while also supporting the credibility and usefulness of the website’s content.

The Rise of AI Search Makes Quality Content Even More Important

Search behaviour is changing. Traditional search engines remain important, but people are increasingly using AI-assisted platforms such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Claude to research services, compare solutions and explore complex questions.

These experiences can present information differently from conventional search results, including generated answers and, where supported, links or citations to external sources.

This introduces another consideration for businesses: how easily can AI-powered systems understand and accurately reference the information published on their websites?

I don’t believe the answer is to abandon established SEO practices or create separate content solely for AI platforms.

Instead, I see a growing opportunity for businesses that already invest in clear, credible and genuinely useful content.

Google’s official guidance on AI features and websites explains that established SEO fundamentals continue to apply to AI Overviews and AI Mode.

It also confirms that there are no additional technical requirements or special AI-specific markup needed to appear in those Google experiences.

For businesses looking to make their information easier to discover, interpret and potentially reference, I recommend focusing on several practical principles.

Provide clear answers to specific questions. Explain important concepts directly before expanding on them. Visitors shouldn’t need to read several paragraphs of introductory content to find a straightforward answer.

Publish original and verifiable information. First-hand observations, documented results, useful comparisons and accurately described processes give content substance beyond generic commentary.

Use descriptive headings and logical structure. Organised information makes content easier for people to scan and helps automated systems interpret its context.

Identify who is responsible for the content. Relevant author details, genuine experience and transparent business information give readers additional ways to assess credibility.

Support factual claims with reliable references. When discussing technical guidance, research or industry recommendations, link to authoritative sources where appropriate.

Maintain strong technical foundations. Search accessibility, internal linking, indexability, descriptive metadata and appropriate structured data remain important considerations.

Structured data can provide search engines with additional context about a page, but it isn’t a shortcut to guaranteed AI citations.

Ultimately, nobody can guarantee that Google, ChatGPT, Claude or another AI platform will reference a particular article.

What businesses can control is the accuracy, originality, accessibility and usefulness of the information they publish and those improvements benefit human visitors regardless of how they discover the website.

Over the past three years, AI-powered search platforms like ChatGPT have experienced explosive growth in popularity and usage, transforming how people discover information, research products, and interact with businesses online.

Not Every Business Needs to Compete for the Number One Position on Google

Another important consideration is that organic search rankings aren’t necessarily the primary measure of success for every business.

Some companies generate substantial opportunities through referrals, established relationships, industry networks, tenders or repeat customers. For these organisations, a website might play a different role.

Rather than attracting large volumes of organic traffic, it may primarily serve as a credibility and decision-support tool.

A potential customer might receive a referral, search for the company’s name and visit its website before making contact. At that moment, they’re not necessarily looking for an educational article or a keyword-optimised landing page. They want reassurance that the business is professional, capable and suitable for their requirements.

A well-presented portfolio, relevant case studies, clear company information and an accessible enquiry process may therefore provide more value than an aggressive strategy focused on expanding organic traffic.

That doesn’t mean SEO should be ignored. Fundamental search accessibility, accurate branded information and technical website health still matter.

It simply means the strategy should reflect how the business actually attracts and converts customers.

A successful website isn’t necessarily the one attracting the most visitors. It’s the one supporting the business’s objectives most effectively.

How I Approach Website Design, SEO and Long-Term Performance

When planning or improving a website, I believe the most valuable starting point is understanding what the business needs to achieve.

That requires more than choosing a visual style, identifying popular keywords or deciding which platform to use.

It involves understanding the audience, the competitive landscape and the role the website plays in the customer’s decision-making process.

From there, my approach focuses on five priorities:

1. Understand the audience and business objectives: Identify who the website needs to reach, what those visitors need and which outcomes matter to the business.
2. Develop a clear content and SEO strategy: Establish the website’s structure, important service information, relevant search opportunities and internal navigation.
3. Create an engaging and distinctive experience: Use purposeful design, effective messaging and intuitive interfaces to communicate value without unnecessary complexity.
4. Build a technically sound foundation: Prioritise performance, responsiveness, accessibility, security and search engine discoverability.
5. Measure what actually matters: Evaluate organic visibility alongside enquiry quality, conversion performance, customer behaviour and business outcomes.

I also believe websites should evolve.

Customer expectations change, businesses introduce new services and opportunities emerge through search engines and other discovery platforms.

Regular improvements informed by reliable data and genuine customer feedback can often be more valuable than making changes simply to follow the latest design or SEO trend.

Things to consider

Should websites be designed for users or search engines?

Websites should primarily be designed around the needs of their intended audience, with SEO incorporated throughout the planning, content and development process. The most effective websites combine a strong user experience with accessible, technically sound and search-friendly content.

Can good website design improve SEO?

Good website design can support SEO by improving usability, navigation, mobile accessibility, content structure and aspects of page performance. However, visual design alone doesn’t guarantee higher search rankings. Content relevance, technical accessibility and other ranking considerations remain important.

Does SEO-focused content negatively affect user experience?

Not necessarily. SEO-focused content can improve user experience when it answers relevant questions and provides useful information. Problems arise when content becomes repetitive, unnecessarily lengthy or structured primarily to target keywords rather than meet visitor needs.

How can a website increase its chances of being referenced by AI search platforms?

Clear explanations, original insights, verifiable information, descriptive headings, credible authorship and technically accessible pages can make content easier to discover and understand. These practices may support AI-search visibility, but no content format, schema markup or optimisation technique can guarantee citations from AI platforms.

What matters more: website traffic or conversions?

Both matter, but their relative importance depends on the business’s goals. Traffic indicates how many people are reaching a website, while conversions show how many complete a desired action. For lead-generation websites, qualified enquiries and actual customer outcomes often provide a more meaningful measure of success than traffic alone.

Build a Website That Works for Your Business and Your Customers

Search engines will continue to evolve. AI-powered discovery will become more sophisticated, ranking systems will change and new website design trends will emerge.

But the fundamental purpose of a business website should remain consistent.

It should communicate clearly, demonstrate genuine value, make information accessible and help potential customers make confident decisions.

SEO plays an important role in making that experience discoverable. Good design creates a strong first impression. Helpful content builds understanding and trust. Thoughtful UX reduces friction, while conversion optimisation helps turn interest into meaningful business opportunities.

None of these disciplines should operate independently.

I believe the strongest websites are created when strategy, design, development, content and SEO work together from the beginning.

Design for people. Structure for search engines. Optimise for meaningful business results.

That’s the philosophy I believe should guide modern website development, regardless of how search technology continues to change.

If your business is planning a new website or looking to improve an existing one, explore my services and reach and let’s discuss your project.