It is difficult to browse the internet these days without encountering an SEO infographic. These graphics are a popular way to provide information, highlighting important facts and distilling complex topics into easily digestible summaries allowing those without the time or inclination to avoid reading lengthy articles to understand a concept.
There is a common belief that despite search engine optimization (SEO)being useful to readers, infographics do not accomplish much from a standpoint. After all, it is content rather than images that has the biggest influence on search rankings, and although modern tools can read text in images, it is impossible to fill an infographic with a high volume of keyword phrases.
However, SEO infographics remain highly useful in an organization’s overall SEO strategy. Here is a look at why they still matter for boosting your rankings.
Keep Readers’ Attention
The amount of time that visitors stay on a website influences its ranking, with Google favoring pages that keep viewers’ attention for longer.
Although some businesses may believe that visitors will stay on a page longer if they need to read lengthy text rather than glance through an infographic, SEO experts report that many visitors are less likely to stay on a page if they open it and find a sea of text, unless the writing is exceptionally engaging. Studies show that a high-quality infographic is a remarkable 30 times more likely to be read than text-filled articles.
Inspire Sharing
When it comes to boosting a web page’s position in the search engines, there is no doubt that shares on social media have become just as important as backlinks from high-quality websites. Infographics lend themselves to sharing far better than long articles, making them well worth the time invested in designing them.
To increase the chances of an infographic being shared, it must be well researched and presented in a manner that is eye-catching but not overwhelming. It is helpful to include figures and other interesting tidbits that get the point across. Infographics not only get shared but also referenced, which means that you can get a lot of mileage out of a single infographic.
It is also important to make sure that infographics have been coded for easy sharing as well as easy linking; users who find their information helpful will be more likely to send them to others and increase your traffic, visibility and brand awareness.
Help With Image Search Results
Another reason infographics can serve such a valuable role in any SEO campaign is their ability to help a website rank highly in Google Image search results. These results are different from the normal keyword search.
A focus on dominating both types of searches means that your website will be more likely to appear before the users you are targeting, whether they are searching for information in a traditional text-based search or using the image search. For the best results with this approach, ensure that the infographic contains a high amount of quality information.
Increase Brand Awareness
Many marketing experts advise using SEO infographics as often as possible. Their adaptable nature means they can be used to present a wide variety of information, from interesting facts about topics related to your business that users are likely to share, to information about the business itself. For example, an infographic can be used to compare the quality of your services against those of your competitors.
The important thing to keep in mind is that infographics must be designed to contain your company’s logos or images. While it is important not to detract from the message of the infographic itself, incorporating a logo or tagline can raise brand awareness significantly if the infographic is widely shared.
Make Your Website More Attractive
There is no denying that visually appealing websites perform better in Google’s search rankings. Google’s ranking algorithm considers a number of factors that are related to the attractiveness of a site.
Sites that feature images and SEO infographics convey a sense of professionalism and set websites apart from those that do not invest in improving their aesthetics. They are also mobile-friendly, which means that they can attract a lot of clicks from this rapidly growing group of Internet searchers.
Learn More About Effective SEO Strategies from 321 Web Marketing
The importance of SEO infographics in your overall search engine optimization strategy should not be overlooked. They serve a uniquely valuable role in conveying information and increasing brand awareness, and they are easy to link to and share.
To find out more about how infographics can be used as part of a broader SEO strategy to raise your profile and attract new customers, schedule a consultation with the SEO professionals at 321 Web Marketing today.
