Single-Page Website and its features are among the most curious topics for many people who work on the internet. In particular, the effect of such single page sites in terms of SEO causes a question mark in minds.
If you are wondering how such websites affect your ranking on Google, you are in the right place. Now let’s answer the question of whether a single-page website is good or bad for SEO through various examples and discuss the pros and cons of such sites.
A website created as a single page is mostly preferred to advertise a single product. Thanks to such websites, companies targeting a specific area gain practicality and convenience. The single-page website has become very popular among companies that want to introduce a specific product or service to their target audience in a short time.
At this point we come to the same place again. Despite its convenience, does a single-page website negatively affect brands’ ranking chances in terms of SEO? Do such processes harm the SEO work of companies?
What is a Single-Page Website?
A single-page website is slightly different from a one-page website. Such websites consist of exactly only one page. This means that when you enter the website, there is no navigation link that allows you to change the page, because there are no other pages to visit on the site.
A Single-Page website does not load the page as a whole. Instead, it dynamically displays content from the server in response to user interaction. The website that does this display job is actually a single-page application type called SPA.
In the SPA app, internet users click on navigation links to scroll the page, i.e. to access data further down the page. Although this gives users the impression that the page has changed, there is no page refresh.
This is why a traditional website page and a single-page website interact differently with the server. At this point, you can take a look at the traditional page lifecycle and SPA lifecycle examples from Microsoft and understand the system better.
Single-Page Website and One-Page Website Example
We realize you are a little confused when we put it this way. So let’s take a look at a few examples of how this web design style is used for clarity.
One-Page Website for an App
Many people know the Momentum app well. You will be presented with a one-page website to download this application. There will only be a link with the title “download the app”. This link will take you directly to the area where you can download the app. This ensures a seamless user experience because users are focused on a single goal.
One-Page Website for E-Commerce
The puppet kit is a perfect example of how e-commerce sites can benefit from a one-page website design. By using the landing page to sell their product/service, online stores can focus on a single call to action and include a lot of information about that product. Calls to action such as “Buy now” or “Download now” are great examples of this.
Single-Page Website for an Event
You Gotta Love Frontend is a non-profit event for developers. The one-page website featuring this event is a very successful example. All the main details are on a single page. In other words, all details such as programs and contact information are available on this page. Information about past events is available at the bottom of the page. It is also possible to get clear information about past programs. There is no transfer to another page or application via any link.
Single-Page Website for a Niche Market
Startup Figma has a service that targets a niche audience, a very specific consumer group. This niche audience consists of users who want to convert Figma designs to WordPress. In order to communicate this service to its niche audience, the company provides information about its service on its single-page website under the title “The Best Freelancers for Every Business”. There is a “Start now” message for those who want to take advantage of this service.
The site uses the main navigation to control users’ conversion rates while at the same time directing them to the single-page section they are most interested in. At this point, the “Request a quote” option appears.
Pros and Cons of Single-Page Website in terms of SEO
As we explained above, single-page website designs actually offer a perfect look. It should also be fun and enjoyable to create such pages. But is the same true for SEO?
There are two different theses on this point. That’s why we want to tell you about the pros and cons of having a single-page website. Thus, you can make your own decision and increase the efficiency of your business by taking the right steps.
Pros of Single-Page Website
In order to understand the advantages of a single-page website, we need to examine the advantages it offers us in detail. These can be briefly listed as follows:
A Better Mobile Experience
In 2019, Google announced that it is working to add the mobile-first index to its algorithms, making it mandatory to have a website that performs well on mobile devices. At this point, single-page web design is quite advantageous. One-page web designs are popularized especially because such websites are usually much easier to load on mobile devices and users find it quite simple to navigate these sites.
These sites load much faster than multi-page sites, allowing users to navigate the page in almost a few seconds. This makes it an ideal option for impatient users.
Some people also find it difficult to click on additional pages or tabs when they access the internet on their small mobile devices such as smartphones. This is why a single-page website becomes a boon for users who don’t want to tire their fingers.
Possibility to Target a Specific Audience
Single page websites are ideal for targeting a specific audience, as well as providing them with a specific type of user experience. You don’t have to worry about controlling users’ behavior and redirecting them to various pages on your site. Because on such sites it is very easy to pull them in a certain direction.
With a one-page site, all the information you want to reach users can be presented to them on a single page. At this point, it does not matter in which order you choose in accordance with the needs of your brand. A single-page website can also be very useful if you have only one keyword or group of keywords that you are considering for your target audience.
Page Rank Advantage
Links are one of the most important factors that determine how well a website will rank. At this point, the biggest benefit of single-page websites is that each link points to the main URL. This way there will always be a 1:1 ratio.
Cons of Single-Page Website
A single-page website with many advantages will inevitably have its cons. Especially if all your information is inherently on a single page, it will bring many challenges. Therefore, the problems that having a one-page website can cause in terms of SEO are as follows:
Limited Keyword Targeting
Unfortunately, single-page websites also have some disadvantages in terms of SEO. The most important of these is keyword ranking. In such websites where there is only a single page, the theme is generally designed around a single main concept. This inevitably leads to limited keyword targeting.
By limiting the ability to rank for keywords, this is not ideal, especially for brands that rely heavily on Google to find new customers. Brands that want to attract a much wider audience should create a multi-page site with keywords on each page. However, if the Google search engine is not the main priority for your brand, such details will not be a problem for you.
Missing Detail in Content
Another disadvantage of a single-page website is the problem of missing details in the content. This is because the content on such pages is usually not as specific as that published on multi-page sites. Because you don’t have the luxury of a separate page for each topic you want to cover. Instead, you should have all your information on a single page.
It is not possible to collect a large amount of information on a single page as you can on a standard website. This is why single-page websites are a disappointment for those looking for detailed content on a specific topic.
Minimal Advanced SEO Strategies
When SEO work is to be done on a single-page website, it may be impossible to take advantage of advanced applications and techniques. There are minimal SEO strategies that can be used on such pages.
Take siloing, for example. Since you will create the content briefly, you need to create a clear and understandable configuration suitable for your nit target audience. Then, in order to direct this audience to this short description, it is important to take care to organize your website in categories and subcategories in the most accurate way.
So instead of presenting tons of topics on a single page, you can create an organized space with an attention-grabbing and descriptive short text, and then create an ideal design to attract users to this space. This is almost impossible to do on a single-page website. Traditional multi-page site designs are much better suited for content silos.
Minimal Advanced SEO Strategies
After learning all these details about the single-page style website, the first question that comes to our minds is “So are single-page websites good or bad for SEO”.
In fact, a single-page website would not be an ideal choice for brands that adopt an SEO-oriented perspective and prioritize such work. However, it would be wrong to ignore the benefits of such pages created with the right design at the right time.
So first of all, when deciding whether your site should be single or multi-page, you need to consider your brand’s goals and what you are trying to achieve with your website. At this point, the questions you should ask yourself are the following:
- Do I have one or more target groups?
- Do I need to rank organically, or am I aiming for primary search intent?
- Which site design offers my target audience the best possible web experience?
