One of your first tasks in the Web Design process is to decide which pages your site will have. As part of a basic SEO strategy, you’ll probably focus on the homepage and service pages – putting other website pages on the backburner.

Let’s explore five site pages you should not ignore and why they may be critical to your websites success.

1. Blog

Blogging has quickly become one of the cornerstones of a great SEO process. Blogs allow you to add lots of related content with tons of keywords for your industry. They also let you show off how much expertise you have in your field or industry. With the power of a blog based content on your site, you can show your potential customers and Google that you are an authority in your industry.

Keep in mind that great blogging requires commitment. That’s why so many websites allow their blogs to fall to the wayside. Fortunately, there are digital marketing companies that offer great blogging services as part of an SEO Package like NMD Media.

2. FAQ

With any product or service, your prospects need information to help them make a decision. Great FAQ pages with honest answers save both you and your customer’s time.

From an SEO standpoint, answers to Frequently Asked Questions should be written out with the intent to promote action as well as to maximize the use of keywords that will get the page found during searches.

On a side note: as voice search becomes more and more popular, consider writing your FAQs with a conversational tone – they’ll have a better chance of being found by voice searchers.

3. Sitemap

Sitemap pages are often overlooked because some business owners view them as an unnecessary waste of time in their web design project. As simple as a sitemap’s list of pages may seem, they are extremely important to your SEO strategy and for user experience (UX).

XML Sitemaps allow search engines bots to understand the hierarchy of your site. HTML sitemaps do the same for your visitors by providing a list of site pages so they can navigate your site with ease. Remember, a great UX keeps people on your site and improves the odds that they become customers – quickly. Again, a great UX is important to Google as well.

4. Testimonials

Everyone loves a good story! Great stories from past customers will help you sell your services to new visitors. A review page and future review management services for your site also helps you build credibility with search engines because positive reviews reflect brand trustworthiness and authority.

5. Privacy Policy / Terms & Conditions

Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions pages are legal pages that companies should draft and send to their web design team. These pages contain information that must be public and that help protect consumers and your business.

The terms and conditions page is a pretty straightforward venture. This page outlines the rules and guidelines of your site, intellectual property disclosures, and guarantees that you aren’t held responsible for any third party links that are posted to your page.

Privacy policy pages let visitors know what goes on behind the scenes when they visit your site. While it may seem trivial, your visitors must have access to this information.