How SEO and UX are colliding, and why that's good news for practitioners

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Olivier De Doncker
Olivier De Doncker
  • 02 min. reading
  • Digital Marketing
Woman working on computer

SEO and UX are colliding, and that’s really good news for UX practitioners, who have been facing a tough market for a while. Here’s why.

If we talk about “SEO,” the first things that probably come to mind are “content production” and “keyword stuffing.” And you wouldn’t be wrong, content still plays a major role if you want your website to rank higher in search results.

However, modern SEO has become much, much more than content. With the latest algorithm updates, Google now looks closely not only at the keywords in your meta tags, but also at what users actually do on your site. 

In other words: if the user enjoys the ride, Google enjoys it too, and rewards you with better rankings.

 

What Google now cares about

  • How long do users stay on a webpage?
  • Do they scroll down or leave immediately?
  • Do they interact with the content?
  • After returning to the search results, do they use the same keywords (a negative signal) or do they move forward in their customer journey?
Google

 

In short, you need to influence how users behave on your site. And this is where UX steps in to bolster your SEO efforts: the more UX increases engagement, the better your visibility in search results.

The upside of this convergence is that SEO now gives you another opportunity to show your value. A strong UX doesn’t just boost user satisfaction, brand perception, or customer retention, it can also form the foundation of sustainable traffic generation for the company you work with.

Of course, integrating SEO into your offering may mean stepping outside your comfort zone. UX and SEO specialists don’t often sit in the same room, so breaking down silos is essential. Cliché or not, it’s the reality.

 

UX-computer-dashboard

 

How to Make the Most of the UX–SEO Collision

  • Check the top 10 results for relevant keywords and add them to your benchmark.
  • Get in touch with the SEO regularly to understand their needs. Don’t wait until you deliver a functional mockup.
  • Focus on key engagement metrics like bounce rate, pageviews, scroll depth, dwell time, and ultimately, conversion rates.

This is how SEO works in 2025: no hacks, no secrets, no “black hat” tricks.

Just real signals and a positive user experience through consistent execution.

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