7 Web Design Mistakes That Are Hurting Your SEO (And How to Fix Them)

Did you know that 75% of users never scroll past the first page of search results? That means even the most visually stunning website can fail to attract traffic if it isn’t optimized for SEO. Often, the culprit isn’t content—it’s your web design. Simple design mistakes can dramatically affect your search rankings and conversions.

At ImagePlus, we’ve spent over 30 years helping businesses like yours fix these hidden SEO issues and achieve measurable results. Here are the most common web design mistakes—and how our team can solve them.

1. Slow Loading Pages

Slow-loading pages frustrate users and hurt your Google rankings. A site that takes too long to load risks losing traffic before visitors even see your content.

How ImagePlus Helps:

• We optimize images without losing quality
• Implement lightweight frameworks for faster performance
• Enable advanced caching and performance enhancements

With ImagePlus, your website won’t just look great—it will load lightning-fast, keeping users engaged and boosting your rankings.

2. Poor Mobile Responsiveness

Google’s mobile-first indexing means your mobile site matters more than ever. If your website isn’t fully responsive, your competitors could outrank you.

How ImagePlus Helps:

• We build fully responsive designs that adapt seamlessly to any device
• Conduct extensive testing on iOS, Android, tablets, and desktops
• Ensure your mobile experience drives engagement and conversions

Our UX-focused approach guarantees your site performs beautifully on every screen.

3. Missing or Poorly Structured Headings

Headings aren’t just cosmetic—they tell search engines what your page is about. Poor structure can confuse both users and crawlers, limiting your SEO potential.

How ImagePlus Helps:

• We implement proper H1, H2, and H3 hierarchies across your site
• Optimize headings for SEO without compromising readability
• Provide ongoing guidance so your content stays structured as your site grows

A well-organised page keeps visitors engaged and search engines happy.

4. Broken Links & Poor URL Structures

Broken links and messy URLs can stop search engines from indexing your pages efficiently. That’s a direct hit to your SEO.

How ImagePlus Helps:

• Conduct comprehensive site audits to detect broken links
• Create clean, descriptive URLs that are easy to crawl and remember
• Set up redirects where necessary to preserve page authority

We ensure your site structure is both user- and search-engine-friendly.

5. Lack of Internal Linking

Internal links help search engines discover your pages and distribute authority across your website. Without strategic linking, important content can go unnoticed.

How ImagePlus Helps:

• Build clear internal linking strategies to highlight key content
• Use descriptive anchor text to boost SEO value
• Design content hubs that make navigation intuitive for users and crawlers

With our guidance, every page of your site works together to maximise SEO potential.

6. Ignoring Accessibility

Accessibility isn’t just ethical—it improves SEO. Alt tags, ARIA labels, and semantic HTML help search engines understand your content while making your site accessible to all users.

How ImagePlus Helps:

• Implement accessibility best practices across images, forms, and navigation
• Ensure compliance with WCAG standards
• Boost crawlability and user experience simultaneously

An accessible website means better rankings, more engagement, and a wider audience.

7. Overuse of Pop-Ups and Ads

Excessive pop-ups can frustrate users and even hurt your Google rankings.

How ImagePlus Helps:

• Design subtle, effective CTAs that drive conversions
• Minimize intrusive pop-ups without sacrificing lead generation
• Keep your website user-friendly and search-engine-approved

We help you capture attention without compromising SEO or user experience.

Why ImagePlus is the Best Choice

With over 30 years of experience, ImagePlus has helped countless businesses fix these common web design mistakes and boost their SEO. We combine technical expertise, UX design, and SEO strategy to create websites that look great, perform flawlessly, and rank higher in search results.

Ready to improve your SEO and web design? Contact ImagePlus today for a full website audit and see how we can transform your site into a traffic-generating, conversion-boosting powerhouse.