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What Are One-Page Websites? Are They Bad for SEO?

By Justin |  Nov 20, 2019 (5 min read)

SEO | Web Development

Depending on the type of business you run, it might make more sense for you to have less content on your site.

If you want to encourage your site visitors to reach out to you via phone or email, then a one-page website (often known as a single-page website) can be a great way to do this.

However, a one-page website can sometimes be a double-edged sword: due to their simplicity, they cause a lot of problems for SEO rankings.

Simplicity Vs. SEO

With a one-page website, your homepage becomes your entire website. Single-page sites are more straightforward and often feature one product or service.

One page sites tend to be more promotional rather than informational. If it is a business website, it may encourage the person to buy now, or give their email for more information.

While this can be good for business, the SEO potential can become limited.

Typically each page on a regular multi-page website has a specific purpose, and Google will rank the page based on a limited number of keywords. The ability to break up a website into content-specific areas (often called siloing) makes it easier for Google to categorize the site.

It can also be more challenging to create a valuable user experience on a single page site. If the one-page website doesn’t meet the need of the visitor, it can cause them to click away quickly.

Pros & Cons of One-Page Websites

Pros:

  • Faster Loading Time – users love web pages that load quickly, and this can increase traffic.
  • Better Mobile Experience – at least 50% of all online traffic today is from mobile devices, and single-page websites offer a smoother navigation experience.
  • Easier Audience Targeting – if a page is designed for a specific product or service (or a granular topic such as an event), this makes it easier to direct advertising and social media attention to it.

Cons:

  • Narrow Keyword Targeting – it can be difficult to rank for more than one keyword term as a single-page website has to be very focused.
  • Lack of Detail and Depth – unless the one-page becomes incredibly long, it can be hard to create content depth and detail (which is something Google loves).
  • Less Opportunity for Link Building – unless the page is focused on a popular, unique topic growing organic links to a single-page site can be challenging.

When to Use One-Page Websites

With the rise of Landing Page services like Clickfunnels and Instapage, it might seem like the entire web will someday move to the one-page layout.

There can be great benefits for smaller companies that rely on lead generation to a location (e.g., restaurants, mechanics) or for promotional events such as concerts or conferences.

SEO may be more difficult on one-page websites, but that doesn’t mean they are ineffective. If a business is willing to advertise to grow clicks to a page, it can be an excellent way to increase the interest in a product or service.

As a business grows, it can make sense to move to a more conventional multi-page website. More pages can help to build the content depth and encourage backlinks to your website.

Ready to increase your online visibility? Brandastic is an award-winning digital marketing and SEO agency with offices in Orange County, Los Angeles, and Austin. We specialize in helping businesses to increase their Google rankings and to grow attention to their brand. Reach out to us today to see how we can help you.

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