Why Government Contractors Should Care About Website Design and SEO

You may have not heard about it. You may have forgotten about it. You might be hiding from it. But Core Web Vitals are here—and can affect how government contractors generate business.

82% of Federal decision-makers rated corporate websites and search engine results as their top-rated sources for research.
According to studies by federal market research experts, Market Connections.

Big Changes That Have Increased the Importance of Website Design

You cannot run. You cannot hide. The latest big Google algorithm change rolled out in May 2021. This update is a big deal—a very big deal! It is called Core Web Vitals.

Google gave us plenty of warning. In May 2020, Google first announced its upcoming changes—which has increased the importance of website design and its influence on search engine optimization (SEO). In November 2020 they specified that due to COVID-19, they planned to hold off on the roll-out until May 2021. And because of this, many companies chose to hold off implementing critical changes.

The Google May 28, 2020 statement noted: A note on timing: We recognize many site owners are rightfully placing their focus on responding to the effects of COVID-19. The ranking changes described in this post will not happen before next year, and we will provide at least six months notice before they’re rolled out.
We’re providing the tools now to get you started (and because site owners have consistently requested to know about ranking changes as early as possible), but there is no immediate need to take action.

Before we dig into Core Web Vitals, the first question we want to answer is…

Why SEO and Web Design Matter to Government Contractors

The hurdles and barriers government contractors need to overcome have not only changed but have also become greater. The customer base for government contractors is becoming harder and harder to reach, and contractors have to do more than ever to breakthrough. New marketing techniques and technologies must be considered to stay competitive.

A Common Government Contractor Misconception About Website Design and SEO

There is a common misconception among government contractors that their corporate websites and search engine ranking are not important to the growth and success of the business. But, listening to stories told by government decision-makers, our professional experience, and research from GovCon experts and SMEs in the federal space, has proven to us that this is very outdated thinking.

Year over year, studies have proven that websites and SEO continue to be the #1 most important resource in various stages of the government buyer decision-making process.
According to studies by federal market research experts, Market Connections.

Government decision-makers are now relying more and more on contractor websites to provide them the information they need to research their challenges, determine the best methods for solving them, and choose the right company for the contract award. User experience considerations such as site speed, user-friendly navigation, and clean, professional design are key to lowered bounce rate and meeting marketing goals.

We have been propelled out of the stagnation of “that’s the way we’ve always done it” and are faced with challenges that are opening doors for new opportunities.

If your company is not investing time and resources into your corporate website design and development and SEO, you are probably losing government decision-makers to your competitors who are!

Getting Website Design and Development Right

Your website can be your #1 top marketing asset—the central hub of any digital marketing program and an investment in your core brand. But the extent of integration and how it works is often not fully appreciated.

Business Development Support

Your website can also be your business development best friend—working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to nurture, educate and guide your prospects through the buyer’s journey and towards a closed deal. This makes your human BD team much more efficient by allowing them to spend less time selling and more time closing.

Also, integrating the website with more traditional marketing programs, such as trade shows and advertising, is sometimes overlooked entirely.

Improve Recruitment and Retention

Let’s not forget about employee recruitment and retention. This is especially important for government contractors and technology companies who need to scale up rapidly when they land a contract.

Attract Teaming and Vendor Partners

Is your Government Contracting company going after prime contracts or subcontracting opportunities? Are you a product provider or re-seller? If so, your marketing strategy should also be concerned with attracting teaming partners and suppliers/vendors.

Done right, your website design and development, and SEO can help with all of these challenges and help drive revenue and the growth of your business.

To provide a quick, easy reference, we have created a couple of handy downloadable resources: Website Checklist for Government Contractors and a quick guide, The Biggest Reason Federal Buyers Can’t Find You …And How To Fix It!

Now, having a better understanding of what is at stake with the latest Google algorithm change, I introduce you to Core Web Vitals.

The Least You Need To Know About Google’s Core Web Vitals

1. Government decision-makers are using search engines to find what they are looking for.
2. These potential buyers want to find information quickly and have a great page experience when they visit a website.
3. Last year, May 2020, Google announced new metrics—in addition to over 200 existing ranking factors—that measure page experience.
4. A year passed and the new Core Web Vitals metrics rolled out in May 2021.
5. How well your website measures up will either positively—or negatively—affect your ranking moving forward.
6. If you have not already addressed these changes, now is the time. Your competitors may already be ahead of you.

A Deeper Dive to Understanding Core Web Vitals (CWV)

According to Google, the metrics that make up Core Web Vitals will evolve over time. The original set focuses on three measures for Google search.

1. Load Time—the amount of time it takes for a webpage to load enough information to be useful to the visitor.
2. Interactivity—the amount of time before a visitor can interact with that webpage.
3. Visual Stability—Does the website content shift around as the page loads? How annoying is it to accidentally tap on a button that shifted under your finger as the page elements loaded?