If you talk to someone who does SEO they often wonder why web developers create sites so un-search friendly. If you talk to web developers they wonder why SEO’s have to be so picky about everything.
Being in both industries I can tell you that web developers don’t think about SEO and SEO’s don’t understand why developers can’t be better SEOs. Truth is, they’re two different industries and two different ways of looking at the web.
Web development is all about taking a design and turning into a website. The clients/agencies are looking for pixel perfect adaptations of their designs. They are looking for specific functionally, have a specific timeframe and budget as well. We are developing what the client wants exactly as they want it.
That could include jQuery animations, dynamic content loaded via Ajax, Flash and many other web technologies. Client’s don’t often want just text and content. They want something interactive and creative. Something that makes their brand stand out.
SEO usually comes in after the web development is done. Most clients think of it after the site is developed and launched. SEO’s then talk about how search engines can’t get past some of those interactive features. How the amount of content on the page is lacking and all sorts of things that should have been thought about way back during the design process.
Unfortunately clients go one step at a time. Design, develop, launch, SEO/marketing. When the SEO company comes into the picture they look at the site and find lots of things that should be done different for search engines. They then want to make changes and ask developers to put in additional time to fix what they feel could be done better.
What really needs to happen is everyone should be involved with each step of the process. It’s really on the client here. The client should not design a website without the developers and SEO’s insight. The developers shouldn’t build it without the SEO’s help. Everyone should be working together so the finished product can be perfect. Sadly, that hardly ever happens.
Web developers don’t do SEO because that’s not their job. SEO’s don’t do web development because that’s not what they do. Everyone has a job to do and they do it well. However, they all happen at different steps in the process and there isn’t much that can be done about that unless the client brings everyone onto the project at the same time.
Next time you think negatively about web developers or SEO, realize that it’s not their fault that no one thought to involve them sooner. They’re just doing what the client wants and they both play an important part of creating a successful website.
