Which Of The Following Website Design Guidelines Have Been Recommended By Google?

Let’s be real — Google’s smarter than most people give it credit for. You can’t just stuff your website full of content and hope to rank anymore. Quality? Critical. User experience? Huge. Google’s looking at the whole package.

I’ve built dozens (maybe hundreds) of websites over 20 years, and I can tell you: the sites that win are the ones built for real humans and Google at the same time. So let’s break down how Google wants your site built today — the stuff I always run through with clients before we even touch a line of code.

1) Mobile-First Isn’t Optional Anymore

Back in 2016, Google flipped the switch: mobile-first indexing became the default. What that means? Google looks at your mobile version first when deciding where you land in search results. Desktop? That’s secondary now.

If your site’s not mobile-friendly, you’re toast. Your rankings will tank, and users will bounce in seconds.

What Google really wants:

• Fully responsive design (auto-adjusts to any screen size)

• Fast loading, even on slower mobile data

• Big, tappable buttons — not tiny links that make people pinch and zoom

I had a client last year — small eCommerce store selling skin care — we rebuilt their site mobile-first, and their bounce rate dropped 38% in 3 weeks. That’s huge.

2) Speed Is Brutal. And Non-Negotiable.

Google’s dead serious about load times. If your page takes longer than 3 seconds? More than half your visitors are already gone.

How to make your site fly:

• Compress images (I often use TinyPNG or ImageOptim)

• Limit heavy scripts and unnecessary plugins

• Enable caching and use a decent CDN (Cloudflare’s a safe bet)

Honestly, nothing frustrates users (and Google) faster than a slow site. Fix your speed first — everything else builds from there.

3) HTTPS: Table Stakes

If you’re still running HTTP, you’re basically waving a red flag at both Google and your customers.

Why HTTPS matters:

• Encrypts user data — especially critical for eCommerce or contact forms

• Builds trust instantly (that little padlock icon matters)

• Google gives you a small ranking boost just for having it

One of my early clients—back in 2018—was hesitant to switch. As soon as we did, their organic traffic climbed 12% over 60 days. Coincidence? Nope.

4) Make Navigation Stupid Simple

If people get lost on your site, Google notices. Confused users click away fast, which hurts your rankings.

Good navigation should:

• Have clear menus with logical categories

• Use internal linking to connect related pages

• Avoid endless dropdowns or hidden sections

I usually tell clients: “If your nan can’t find it in 10 seconds, it’s broken.”

5) Don’t Overcomplicate Your CTAs

Calls-to-action should be dead simple. You’re guiding users, not making them solve a puzzle.

Effective CTAs include:

• “Book a Demo”

• “Get a Quote”

• “Subscribe for Updates”

Google also watches for engagement signals. If people click your buttons, stay on-page, or convert? That’s a small SEO win.

6) Use Schema. Seriously.

Structured data helps Google understand your content better. It’s how you get rich snippets — like product ratings, event dates, or FAQs — directly in search results.

Some useful types:

• Product schema

• Review schema

• FAQ schema

• Article schema

We added schema markup for a local dentist I worked with in 2023 — they jumped from position #6 to #3 for their primary keywords after Google started pulling in their reviews into search.

7) Chill with the Pop-Ups

Yes, lead-gen is important. But intrusive pop-ups? Google hates ‘em. Especially on mobile.

Use pop-ups that:

• Appear at the right moment (exit intent works)

• Are easy to dismiss

• Don’t block content right away

I’ve seen sites drop rankings after launching aggressive mobile pop-ups. Recovering from that penalty? Not fun.

8) Make It Easy to Read (For Everyone)

Accessibility isn’t just a nice-to-have. Google expects your content to be usable for as many people as possible.

Tips I always give clients:

• Use clean fonts like Open Sans or Roboto

• High contrast between text and background

• Alt text on all images (helps SEO too)

• Captions or transcripts for video/audio

This stuff isn’t hard, but most businesses skip it. Big mistake.

9) Optimise Your Images Properly

Images are tricky: they boost engagement, but kill speed if handled poorly.

Here’s the sweet spot:

• Use JPEG or WebP for photos, PNG for graphics

• Compress before upload (80% compression is often plenty)

• Keep file sizes under 300kb where possible

• Always fill out descriptive alt text

I once shaved 11 seconds off a bloated homepage load time just by resizing hero images. Client thought I was a magician.

10) Write for Humans First

At the end of the day, Google cares most about your content actually being useful.

Focus on:

• Answering real customer questions

• Solving actual problems

• Avoiding keyword stuffing (Google’s smarter than that now)

When your content is helpful, people stay longer. They share it. They come back. That’s what Google notices.

Let’s Wrap This Up

Look — Google’s not trying to trick you. They just want websites that work well for real people. If you focus on these areas, you’re building something solid that Google wants to reward. Simple as that.

Need help pulling this all together? That’s literally what we do at Chromatix. We build websites that Google loves — and your customers do too.

If you’re ready to sort out your site properly, jump over to our website or give us a call at 03 9071 3189.