When traffic drop issues started hitting my inbox early 2017 – I was perplexed. These weren’t the typical link penalties, thin content or panda algo issues.

There was something different going on here. By March/April of 2017  I’d seen enough of these issues, and along with other SEOs started connecting the dots.

In June I then published a 10-minute little episode called “The Email“. In this episode, it describes a different sort of SEO problem. A new breed of SEO which relates more to UX, usability, and distracting navigation content.

Now – one year later – it’s more clear than ever. UX, usability, accessibility – are CORE essentials of modern SEO. I’ve seen sites get crushed in the last year with these issues.

That’s why I invited today’s guest – Kim Krause Berg – onto the show. She is an expert in usability, UX and accessibility. In fact, she provides these services TO SEOs.

Here are a few of many things covered in this great discussion!

  • What SEO in 1996 Looked Like!
  • Are browser and device emulators good?
  • What to ask site testers
  • Verbs vs Nouns
  • Why accessibility helps SEO
  • Colorblind? What color to avoid most

Listen Now!

Sponsor

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Related Episodes You Might Like

Show Agenda and Timestamps

  • Show Introduction [0.21]
  • Kim’s Introduction [1:38]
  • What was Kim doing on the early web during the late 90s [1:45]
    • How did Kim build websites in the late 90s [2:31]
    • What was SEO like back in 1996 [3:21]
  • How has being a journalism major impacted her UX career [4:08]
    • Are there situations when you should “bury the lead” [4:48]
  • Software QA Testing background [5:33]
    • What is “human factors” [6:57]
  • Defining Accessibility, Usability and User Experience [8:22]
    • Usability [8:43]
    • User Experience [8:57]
    • Accessibility [9:37]
  • Kim is usability consultant- what types of work is she doing and how does she measure success? [11:05]
  • Usability and UX [12:57]
    • It should only take 3 seconds to communicate what the webpage/website is about. Why is that and how can websites do this better [13:16]
    • Tools and processes Kim recommends for testing purposes [17:13]
    • How the navigation can help with the conversion funnel [21:30]
  • Content types and common mistakes [24:16]
    • What are most people doing wrong with video [27:05]
  • Sponsor Break BuzzSumo with discount code!! [27:51]
  • Example of the website did a bad with usability and what were the mistakes [30:59]
  • Twitter questions [33:53]
    • A follower asks about the latest research/test results regarding mobile usability and design recommendations. Improving mobile conversions  [33:57]
    • How important is it to show main content above the fold and also no heading and summary on top for e-commerce category pages [37:43]
  • Accessibility and ADA requirements [39:46]
    • How does accessibility impact rankings and seo [40:06]
    • What percentage of the population has accessibility issues [41:18]
    • Tips for designing with the colorblind in mind [43:25]
    • How to cater to those with vision impartments better [45:39]
    • Twitter question-What are new tools or strategies that are helpful for people that have muscular/nervous system issues. [48:04]
    • Americans with Disabilities Law in the United States; what is it and what does it mean for websites? [50:01]
  • Kims article: Website Visitors Are Not Prey [54:36]
    • Sharing happy information study [59:39]
  • Episode wrapup and where to find Kim online [1:01:38]

Tools Mentioned

Articles, Resources, and Links Mentioned

Articles by Kim

Find Kim Online

About Dan Shure

Hi! I'm Dan Shure. I write all of the posts and host all of the podcast episodes you'll find on the Evolving SEO blog. Say hello on Twitter @dan_shure!

1 Comments

  • March 30, 2018 Reply

    Greg Kristan

    I was unaware of the importance of website accessibility until a friend demonstrated how people could interact with a webpage. I am happy that you guys were able to talk about this topic in great detail

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