It’s a divide that has existed almost as long as the internet: developers vs SEOs.
Both have their own agenda, both want to reach their own goals, and both have their own priorities.
They pull and push against each other, while your website languishes for both search and functionality. They won’t communicate, so you find yourself doubling on work wasting time running between the two ‘factions’.
As time goes on it starts to seem more trouble than it’s worth and as a result, you put all website work on the backburner.
But it’s not always the case. There are some instances where SEOs and developers work in harmony. This can often be because they are working for the same agency, such as here at Easy Website Design, where our inhouse developers and SEO engineers have collaborated on countless projects. But even if this isn’t the case, it doesn’t mean that they had to be at loggerheads. Quite the contrary.
In fact, when you think about it, they both want online success for you. So why the animosity? And more importantly, how can it be overcome?
Firstly there is a lack of understanding. Many SEOs don’t understand the landscape of developers, and many developers don’t understand the techniques used by SEOs. Then there is a divergence of goals and a ‘blinders’ approach. Developers want to make a functional website that looks great, while SEOs focus on a website that Google can understand and rank.
A developer might labour over a custom-built site, creating intricate and complex features and graphics, only for an SEO tech to point out that it doesn’t support key metadata that is crucial for the site to rank. At this stage there might be little or nothing that the developer can do without making major changes, so the developer is frustrated that their work isn’t being recognised and they are being blamed for lower rankings, and the SEO is frustrated that the developer isn’t making changes and the site isn’t ranking as well as it could.
But they both want a great website, and that’s the key.
How to Bridge the Divide
Communication is the only way to overcome the distance between these two specialisms.
Simple cross-training and open conversations about priorities can help both long-term. It’s essential that both the SEOs and developers are part of a website build from the start and their respective requests can be aired and balanced at an early stage, rather than trying a lengthy and often fruitless damage control strategy later on.
It doesn’t have to be hours and hours of discussions. An experienced SEO will know common pitfalls to avoid and confident developers will be able to explain their aims in a clear way.
At Easy Website Design, we base our site builds on the pillars of SEO from the start. Our developers and SEOs work together and we develop crossover skills as part of our ongoing professional development.
A Common Goal
Building a successful online presence requires collaboration between plenty of different parties, and developers and SEOs are just two of them. By starting with a shared vision that you can keep referring back to, and identifying client online success as your goal, you encourage cooperation throughout the process.
Having a team that takes pride in their work and are passionate about achieving online success for clients is crucial. This is what has allowed the team at Easy Website Design to build up a successful portfolio of websites that exceed our clients’ expectations in terms of aesthetics, functionality, user experience and SEO.
We have a team of highly experienced technical SEOs who are familiar with different website frameworks. Our front end developers know what needs to be done to make the back end development work. This all ties together to ensure we can make you rich or famous online, and in most cases both!
Are you considering a new website for your business or organisation? Contact us today for a free consultation to find out how our work stands out in the industry and what our clients love about working with us.
