SXO is a completely new approach to the topic of positioning. The strategy combining SEO and UX made it important not only to adapt the website to search engine robots, but also to the needs of users. Thanks to Search Experience Optimization, these two issues are treated equally, and we now look at positioning from a different perspective. Where did SXO come from and why is it still gaining in importance?
SXO – a combination of two important strategies
The combination of Search Engine Optimization and User Experience has contributed to the creation of a completely new operating strategy. It focuses on both increasing the visibility of a website and improving conversion. Fine-tuning your site for SEO and user experience is the most effective way to get your audience to respond the way you want. Usually, it is the purchase of products, which is why SXO is especially eagerly used by sales platforms.
How does this strategy work? The site ranks high in the search results, and this generates organic traffic. Users who pass to it see that it is intuitive and tailored to their needs. This encourages you to stay longer and even come back frequently. According to SXO, the website must be refined not only in terms of factors important from the perspective of search engine robots. It is also supposed to be useful for recipients, so responsive, fully legible, and it should load as soon as possible.
The SEO elements that make up the SXO strategy are mainly:
– technical optimization (including correctness of the HTML source code),
– key phrases,
– content,
– metadata,
– headers
– internal and external linking.
The user’s experience while using the website plays an equally important role. The UX factors are:
– clear site navigation,
– refined CTA formulas,
– aesthetic and modern look of the site,
– functionality and adaptation to the needs of users,
– loading speed.
When traditional SEO proves to be insufficient
As every SEO agency emphasizes, the strategy aimed at ensuring the website’s good position must be analyzed and modified on an ongoing basis. This is due to the constant changes in search engine algorithms and the need to adapt to them. Traditional SEO focuses on increasing the visibility of your website, this is the main focus of your activities. Although many companies can achieve their business goals in this way, it is not enough for everyone. The mere refinement of key phrases, meta data and similar issues is sometimes not enough to keep users on the site and persuade them, for example, to buy products. That’s why the SXO strategy has emerged.
Search Experience Optimization is the successor to SEO. In recent years, there have been significant changes in Google’s algorithms, as a result of which user experience has started to have a more significant impact on the position of the site. 2021 was the year when the implementation of new ranking factors began, focusing on the convenience of website visitors:
– LCP – Largest Contentful Paint, i.e. the largest rendering of content. It measures the time it takes for the largest (by default the most important) element of your website to be loaded.
– FID – First Input Delay, delay on first operation. It measures the time that must pass until the first interactivity of the website (from the moment of clicking on a specific element to the reaction).
– CLS – Cumulative Layout Shift, or visual stability. This is a reference to the traffic that occurs on the site once it is loaded. LCP, FID, and CLS are indicators that are part of the Core Web Vitals collection.
– Responsiveness – adapting the website to mobile devices.
– Security – Google checks if the website uses the HTTPS protocol.
– Presence of interstitial ads – it is recommended to avoid them as they limit access and make the content inaccessible to users.
This shows that Google wants pages to be adapted not only to robots, but above all to the needs of the recipients. The SXO strategy includes activities in the field of SEO, UX, but also analytics, content marketing, CRO and web development. All this to ensure the highest possible conversion and help the company achieve all the business goals it has set for itself.
Why is SXO needed?
SXO makes users go to a website through organic search results and then perform the desired action. They are effectively encouraged to do so by positive experiences resulting from refining the website in terms of the needs of the recipients. Search Experience Optimization is most often referred to in the context of increasing product sales. However, it is worth remembering that a call to action placed on the website may also persuade you to perform another action, e.g. subscribe to a newsletter, fill out a form, set up an account on the website or watch a video.
The main goal of the SXO strategy is to increase conversion, but implementing it brings the company several other benefits as well. Belong to them:
– increasingly better visibility on Google,
– lasting bond with clients,
– gaining trust and creating the image of an expert,
– standing out from the competition and gaining an advantage.
As you can see, SXO allows you to combine two very important aspects influencing success on the Internet – positioning and adapting to the needs and requirements of customers. The combination of SEO and UX is very effective. Even when the site is perfectly polished in terms of user experience, it will not guarantee the company’s success if it is difficult to find it in the search engine. It also works the other way around. A well-positioned website that is neither readable nor responsive at the same time will not increase profits to such a large extent. According to the SXO assumptions, the website should be clearly visible, but also encourage users to stay there for longer.
SXO not only for e-commerce
Since SXO is used to improve positioning as well as increase the number of page visits and conversions, it is used in particular in the e-commerce industry. This is due to the fact that it is mainly focused on sales. A highly visible platform that provides users with a positive experience is conducive to shopping. For potential customers, every detail is important, from a clear menu through quick product search to the possibility of making an easy transaction via a mobile device.
E-commerce is an industry that is constantly developing, and the businesses operating in it should respond to changes in order to be successful. The implementation of the SXO strategy facilitates the achievement of the intended goals, as it is a response to the constantly growing expectations of customers. Comprehensive, multi-dimensional optimization of an online store ensures results both in the short and much longer term. In the case of platforms that have already been visible on Google, it is not uncommon for a sudden increase in conversion to occur very quickly. A nice looking, fast loading and clear website will gradually generate more and more sales and profits. There is also a high probability that people satisfied with the transaction will return to the store, becoming loyal, regular customers.
However, it should be remembered that SXO can also be successfully implemented in many other industries. This solution is recommended to anyone who wants to stand out from the competition and have higher financial results through good visibility on the Internet and improving user experience. More traffic to the website results in a high conversion rate, which may or may not be in the form of product purchases. Sometimes it is signing up for a subscription, submitting a form, ordering a phone call with the company, downloading an e-book, etc. According to the definition, conversion is a specific activity performed by the user that is desired by the company and brings it closer to achieving its business goal. Therefore, SXO works well not only in e-commerce, but also in service industries. More and more often, bloggers or people running content websites decide on such a strategy.
Important support for business
The combination of SEO and UX strategies is considered to be extremely effective. SXO is a very important support for business, conducive to its development. Thanks to it, users can easily find exactly what they are looking for on the Internet, and then perform actions on the website that meets their expectations. The implementation of Search Experience Optimization allows you to get rid of the doubts whether the website is adapted to Google’s algorithms and at the same time fully valuable for the recipients.
The use of the SXO strategy allows you to refine every important detail. Compared to SEO, it does not only focus on optimizing the website for search engine robots, because they do not increase conversion. It is necessary to realize that the users, their feelings and needs play an important role in this matter. Companies wishing to be successful on the market should show potential customers that their satisfaction is the most important.
Of course, SXO will not make every user visiting the site perform the desired action. Nevertheless, this strategy makes it easier to reach people from a well-defined target group and encourage them to stay on the site for longer. This increases the likelihood that the company’s offer will arouse interest and translate into profit. The implementation of SXO enables adaptation to the new requirements posed not only by Google, but also by internet marketing itself. It is worth remembering that there are still changes in this area that you need to adapt to in order to build your competitive advantage.
