Creating a website is very similar to baking a cake or getting dressed. We all strive to do it perfectly—so that the cake tastes great, and the clothes highlight our figure and reflect our sense of style and attitude toward the world. When working on web design, we aim for the same thing, paying attention to certain details and factors that may go unnoticed by visitors but are essential for the web as a whole.
Google’s search engine absolutely loves websites built by the rules. If its bot sees such a site, it will always index it and show it on the first pages of search results. And while the rules set by Google’s own developers evolve over time, the core principles remain the same to this day.
So how does Google see our websites? What does it expect from web designers and the quality of their work? Today we’ll explore this in more detail with examples—even though some of it may seem like “common knowledge.” At the same time, it's worth understanding why not all websites appear in Google search results—or why some disappear due to poor design or development. So what’s the secret? And how can re-reading the same principles for the hundredth time spark fresh, inspiring ideas? Think it's impossible? It's not. How?
Let’s take a look...
Project name
Not just a title, but a clear and visible project name should appear on every page. It acts as a focal point for the visitor’s attention. You open any page of the site and can clearly see what this site is about, its theme, and its name. Google’s robot looks for this heading near the logo, typically around the top menu and contact area.
On sites like Ria, MSI, Nvidia, the title is located near the logo or is part of it, featuring the brand’s color palette and giving a strong sense of the company’s identity.
A great solution is seen on Brand Village and Awwwards, where the logo and menu bar float. This way, the visitor always knows where they are and what they’re browsing.
Navigation and Headings
Google aims to understand your site’s navigation and structure. It’s recommended to clearly separate content from navigation, headings, and subheadings—but without violating the overall design style. What matters most for the search engine is the usability for visitors, which helps increase time spent on the page.
A well-structured large site with clear navigation allows Google to show not just the main project page in results, but also additional internal links beneath it. You've probably seen this. Naturally, it helps with SEO. But to achieve this, you can’t just request it from Google or set up structured links in Google Webmaster Tools. The bot evaluates sites on its own based on the breadth of their structure.
The secret is that navigation doesn’t have to be obvious or traditional. Projects like Neil Patel, Curse, Gazprom demonstrate this. Neil’s menu is small and placed at the bottom; Gazprom's is built with simple links—but thanks to solid structure, it still shows well in search.
Readability and Typography
A web designer’s job is not only to make things beautiful—but also readable. Whether you place text over large photos or use calligraphic fonts for headings, it all has to be legible. Moreover, the font should match the overall style and site theme.
Pauline Osmont is an artistic illustrator with a personal website featuring stunning typography. What stands out is that the homepage text remains clear and easy to read, even with all the decorative swirls and wavy elements.
Another project, WinShape Camps, looks great overall, but with its rainbow-colored backgrounds, the white text (especially during video playback) becomes hard to read. On the other hand, their use of calligraphy in the main content gives the site a unique charm.
Noteworthy examples include Blu Homes and Aquatilis, where fonts that seem incompatible—different sizes, styles, and typefaces—are used together successfully. Plus, navigation on these sites is flawless.
Video and Images
Not every visitor is ready to read lots of text, so sometimes it’s worth considering: can something be replaced with a video or a narrative image? Perhaps it’s better to place these before the text, encouraging the user to keep scrolling and read more.
For example, the Disney Frozen site uses video and images instead of numerous text links and descriptions. And it looks beautiful, clear, and engaging! Even the typography and animations below the top menu remain readable and elegant.
Philips also tells the story of its product lines and services using video and imagery. Take note of their menu as well.
The design of Zolotaya Semerka is also visually appealing. They don’t just offer window services—they create a sense of comfort in any home or office. This project is interesting on many levels—and Google likes it too.
Footer
Placing a separate link menu at the bottom of the page is important and necessary. These links can be more numerous than those in the header, and they don’t even have to duplicate it. But they must not be ignored. Visitors who scroll to the bottom should be able to continue exploring the site without having to scroll all the way back up.
Whether it’s a project age rating, logo, or copyright info—what matters is that there are additional links in the footer. The secret is: they should support the site's structure—not break it. They should continue what was started at the top.
Projects like Engage Interactive and Off Radio have robust top menus, but they still include logical footer sections with contacts, legal notices, design credits, or a sitemap link.
Box and Evernote took the opposite approach: a large footer menu full of links, while the top menu remains simple and non-hierarchical.
So what’s Google’s ideal “cake”?
How exactly does Google’s bot view your site?
URLs should be simple and memorable. So if you're designing a large-scale project, make sure to plan and discuss this with the client beforehand. Category and topic pages should have distinct designs. Otherwise, the final result might disappoint the client. A company may not realize why their site performs poorly with both users and search engines. Link hierarchy, navigation, and category structure—all of it must be understandable not just to users but to Google bots as well.
That’s why the axiom simplicity = success is more relevant than ever in web design.
Take a look at Ubisoft, which uses both horizontal and vertical scrolling, lots of images and videos instead of lengthy texts, and flawless structure that’s crystal clear to Google.
Calls to Action
CTAs are relevant not only for e-commerce websites that openly push users to buy or order. Informational platforms also use them.
For instance, designers at Brandjaws used yellow for all interactive elements: slider arrows, active menu links, headings, buttons. The blue-yellow-black contrast draws attention and guides the user—whether to read, zoom in, or subscribe.
The team at Aquatilis used subtle animations and cursor changes to highlight interactive areas—plus stunning underwater imagery that makes you want to click and learn more. Not everyone can dive into the deep sea or spend hours in research libraries.
Another CTA example: Ubisoft. Instead of saying “this is what we have,” they go with “this is all for you.” That subtle shift in tone motivates users to explore further: “What else is there for me?”
Social Media
What is the web without social exchange? None of us live in full isolation—we all communicate. Visitors should be able to share content. That’s why it's now rare to find a site without social media icons. Whether there are a lot or just a few, their absence makes a site feel empty. Google notices this too, since social media has become a key part of our lives.
Major platforms like BuzzFeed and Ria place social icons next to photos, at the beginning or end of articles. And they never interfere with reading.
A creative approach can be seen on MSI’s site. On product pages, there are only three icons: Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. But in the footer, a “ Social Networks” link leads to a full list of channels and regions: VK for Russia, Twitter in 14 languages, and more. Some platforms support multiple languages and countries.
Result
Everything mentioned above may seem standard—and many will say “nothing new.” But we’ve gathered a few web projects where designers embraced all these principles and created captivating experiences. It's hard to describe—you have to see them: tram-house, Airman Challenge, Qantas Dreamliner ( full version), Porsche Panamera
Conclusion
So what’s the point if all these web design rules are already known? Sure, they’re familiar—but how they evolve and how designers reinvent them is often overlooked. As for Google—it’s impressed by beauty only when functionality, simplicity, and structure aren’t sacrificed.
Finding inspiration isn’t easy. You could spend hours looking through lists of “Top 30/25/100 websites” and still miss what gives one site its unique flair—like well-placed text over images or an unusual font. It may seem like a small thing, but those touches matter. A basic blog or masterclass landing page can become unforgettable through contrast, animation, icons, or photography. There are countless combinations—so in web design, it’s not enough to simply “look”; you must “see” and be inspired.