What is a One-Page Website?
A one-page website is a website that literally has one HTML page. There are no additional pages like About, Services, or Blog. The content is usually in a long-scrolling layout, possibly with multiple sections.
Most websites like this will have you scroll down the page to find what you’re looking for. Another option may be to click on navigation links that will take you to a particular spot on the page.
Why Would You Want a One-Page Website?
There are a few reasons why you might want to build a one-page website over a multi-page website. With only one-page, these websites are easier to build and maintain.
If you own a company that offers only a product or service then you may not need to have separate web pages. Many people like to build a single page website for an event. You can include all details of the event on one-page, and once the event is over, you haven’t spent too much time or money on the site.
Another advantage of one-page websites is that they are very easy to navigate. Navigation ease leads to an increased conversion rate since there is practically no way to get distracted or lost.
Are One-Page Websites Bad for SEO?
As with everything, there are pros and cons to a one-page website from an SEO perspective.
PROS
Mobile-Friendly
Almost everyone has a smart phone and have started using it more than a desktop to do their searching. With only a single page, one-page websites convert to mobile with very little difficulty. In March of 2018, Google announced they are converting to mobile-first indexing. This means that when crawling sites, Google will now be using the mobile version instead of the desktop. If your site is mobile-friendly, then this is a big boost for your search engine optimization.
Loading speeds also factor into your rank with Google. Having only one-page means your site will have faster loading times, giving you a big boost not only with Google, but with users as well. Everyone enjoys easy navigation and quick loading, so this will really improve your user experience.
Number of Links
The number of links on a page is one of the biggest factors that goes into your chances of ranking on Google. With a single page site, every link will direct back to the same URL. This means there will always be a 1:1 ratio of links to pages.
Audience Targeting
Having only one-page means that users can’t click on different pages and look at information in the wrong order. It’s much easier to target a specific audience and control the direction they go in. All of the information you want them to see is introduced to them how YOU want it to be. For SEO purposes, this is helpful in targeting keywords. Since you can only target so many, this helps give you a better chance of being able to rank for that keyword.
Now that I’ve told you the good stuff, let’s take a look at the not-so-good stuff.
CONS
No Content Depth
Having all information on just one-page means you are unable to go in depth like you would if you had a separate page for each topic. To combat this, you may try to cram too much information on a single page and end up with a cluttered mess. Neither option is good for SEO as you are unable to employ many strategies in either situation.
If there is very little content, you are automatically at a disadvantage because you simply don’t have the room to employ very many SEO strategies. Furthermore, if you end up with unorganized content, Google will see that when crawling your site, and won’t rank it very high on the search engine results page.
Limited Keywords
A one-page website is typically designed around one topic, making it difficult to rank for a large selection of keywords. Keywords are another big component that goes into Google’s indexing system, and can make or break whether your site is showing up at the top. Keywords are what people search to find what they are looking for; if your site has a limited number of keywords then it will be very hard to rank at all.
Low Credibility
Website authority and credibility is determined by metrics, content quality, engagement, links, ranking, etc. As I mentioned above, one-page websites have very little content depth as well as limited keyword targeting. These can factor into your website’s authority and ultimately lower your SEO ranking score.
Final Thoughts
After hearing the advantages and disadvantages, you may still be wondering if one-page websites are bad for SEO.
As it stands currently, websites with just one-page are not as good for SEO as websites with multiple pages. However, there are times when a one-page website could be more beneficial.
Before deciding what type of web design you want to build, think about your business goals and your target audience. Whether with a one-page site or a multi-page site, you want to deliver the best possible web experience to users and possible clients.
Let Eldie Inc. Help You Get Started
Although there are reasons why you may want a one-page website, it could cost you that #1 spot on the SERP. We would love to help you decide what kind of website is best for your company. Schedule a call today to get started!