Choosing the best font for SEO

Picking a font for your website is one important step in website personalization. And we are not just talking about aesthetics. There is so much more to a font than its look and feel on your site. When choosing the right font for your webpages, you should consider their effect on page loading speed, bounce rate, and conversion rate. These are really important factors when it comes to Google ranking.

Well, you can opt to buy a font but this can not only be an expensive affair but also a risky one. No one guarantees you that your visitors will see the font. The more unique a font is the more likely browsers may not be able to read the font. Meaning, it will be replaced with one of the generic fonts. And that’s how your expensive fancy font cash is wasted.

In short, it pays to spend some time to know some web-safe fonts or Google fonts to use instead of going for the first font that catches your attention.

What are web safe fonts?

These are the fonts that are universally installed on all devices. They are familiar to people hence they are easy to read. Also, as they are stored locally, browsers don’t take ages to load a page. With fast page loading speeds, your chances of ranking higher on SERPs increase.

A web-safe font reduces your bounce rate as visitors can access the page fast and read it and your website performance won’t be affected.

Luckily, WordPress comes already stacked with most of these fonts.

What are Google fonts?

There are over 800 Google fonts available for you to use. Any classic or premium WordPress theme comes with loads of Google fonts. But they’re also available if you don’t use WordPress or you’re using a free theme.

The fonts are pretty common and they include Roboto, Open Sans, Lato, Montserrat, Lora, PT Sans, and so many others.

How many fonts do you require?

Straight up answer? Two. Or three if you push it.

Why?

Here is what no one tells you. The more fonts you add to a webpage the slower the page loading speed. We’re after getting ranked high on SERPs so let’s not kill our potential.

The idea is to have one font for all your headings (H1, H2, H3, H4, and etcetera) and another for the body. Navigation menu tabs normally use the body font.

To give your two fonts some distinction across your website, use italics, uppercase, or different sizes. But don’t go for more than three font types.

With that being said, let’s dive into the various types of fonts to use.

Best web-safe-fonts for SEO

Arial

Almost everyone has seen or at least heard of Arial. It is the most common font online and on printed material. If you’re using Google Docs, it’s the default format. It’s one safe bet for anyone since it can be viewed on all browsers and devices.

Times New Roman

This is another popular kid on the block. Most official or professional content online or on print media uses this format. Look at news websites and magazines. Basically, you can never go wrong with it.

Helvetica

We love Helvetica because it’s neutral and can go with almost any type of content. Even some big shot vehicle brands like Jeep and BMW use it. It loads fast and is suitable for anything.

Verdana

If you need an HTML font with one of the best readability, try Verdana. It’s one excellent screen font that can be viewed clearly across all screen resolutions. IKEA uses it for their print media and online content.

Arial Narrow

This is a stream of the Arial typeface. It has a more sleek look and feel than the original font. We like that it’s a versatile font and can be used on any website regardless of the content.

Courier

Anyone with a movie, song, or screenplay website should consider using Courier typeface. All operating systems have it already pre-installed so it can be viewed across the board. And it looks amazing.

Calibri

This is another famous child of Microsoft Office. It’s actually the default format on Word documents. It can be read on all browsers across every device. You can’t go wrong with Calibri.

Perpetua

Anyone running an educational or informational website can put this typeface to good use. Penguin Classics and the University of Pennsylvania use it for their online and print publications. It has a very formal look and feel.

Cambria

Another child of Microsoft belonging to the ClearType font family. They are siblings with Calibri and Candara. It is best for onscreen reading as it comes out clear on all screen resolutions even when used in small size.

Optima

If you’re a good observer of road signs then you may have come across Optima. The classical font is perfect for logos, road signs, and anything else that you want to stand out. Its characters pop making it highly visible yet elegant.

That’s our list of the top 10 fonts you can use to boost your SEO and web accessibility. Depending on your brand tone and style, pick the best 2 or 3.