Infographics have been a topic of discussion and debate for SEO professionals for quite some time. Many think that using images to depict a thought or instead of text is not the best link building process. Other SEO strategies pump out low-quality infographics to get in on the trend.
An informative, well-designed infographic can be a huge boost to your SEO campaign. I’m not saying this is the only way to do SEO, but I am saying it is a valuable tool to use.
infographics are information graphics or visual representations of information, data and knowledge intended to present complex information quickly and clearly.
Statistics: Why to Include Infographics in Your Content Marketing Strategy
Infographics are a great way to visually stimulate and compel your audience to act. They are a visual tool to enhance your already great content. Reasons to use them include:
- 90% of information that comes to the brain is visual
- Infographics go viral
- 40% of people will respond better to visual information than plain text
- Infographic production increases by 1% every day
- They catch the eye of journalists and stand out from dull and boring text-based press releases
- Infographics help to visualize relationships and statistics simply and easily
- Just prior to the start of 2010 to the beginning of 2012, Infographic search volumes have increased by over 800% in just over 2 years
8 Benefits of Using Infographics for SEO
In addition to the above statistics, there are basic benefits to including infographics into your marketing content strategy:
- Viral Capabilities & Worldwide Coverage – Sharing images on social networks is easily done and increases the viral reach compared to other content sharing options. Once posted, the information is out in the world and can be searched by anyone.
- Compelling & Builds Brand Awareness – Infographics are compelling; people love facts, figures and statistics. If the image is embedded with your logo, you build brand awareness to your readers.
- Shows an Expert Understanding of a Subject – There is a lot of research that goes into creating a quality Infographic which will be displayed visually when completed. This displays your knowledge and will position you as an expert.
- Increases Traffic – An Infographic is compelling by nature, and when linked properly will drive traffic to your website, blog, landing page, etc.
- Benefits search engine optimization – Infographics are viral in nature, making people link to your site. Google will index your website higher due to their “Page Rank” algorithm. This will result in an increased importance to search engines ranking your site.
- It Makes Info More Appealing – With Infographics, information is presented and laid out with more appeal, which makes it more effective than words or text alone.
- It’s Attention Grabbing – When done correctly, the appealing designs of Infographics will grab your attention. Visually, you can add treatments, color or depth to an image where you can’t with a plain text. Infographics show another kind of dimension than any word can.
- It’s Easier to Understand and is More Memorable – In an Infographic words and statistics are broken down into smaller bits of information, making it easier to digest and ultimately understand. The use of bright colors, graphs and shapes makes it easy for an Infographic to be remembered. This is the same reason television advertisements are so successfully, they create a visual presentation of an idea or product that leaves a lasting impression.
Types of Infographics
There are three main types of Infographics:
- Timeline Format
- Graphics or Icon Format
- Map Presentation Format
All three types of Infographics are important for different purposes and for different topics. The timeline format shows data, statistics and information in a sequence of events. This type of Infographic is great for representing information in history or over a period of time. The graphs and icon format is used when data needs to be displayed in a graphical format. When there is an abundance of data to be compared; graphs or icons can be used to break the information down. Maps are another great way to give statistics and point to a desired location as well. Typically data is layered over a map to not only give data but to visually represent it as well.
It will be up to you to decide which format best suits your needs for your desired topic and audience.
Where to Get Statistics to Build Your Infographics
Google is your friend when it comes to finding statistics to build your Infographic. It is the fastest and simplest way to get information about your desired topic. In addition to simply googling for your statistics, you can also go to specific sites to find downloaded statistics. Chartsbin is an example of this kind of site. This site gives you existing visualizations; including maps and charts which can be downloaded or embedded. Signing up for a free account gives you access to create visualizations using your own data. This is a great tool to take advantage of starting out. Googles Public Data Explorer is another options, as well as StatPlanet and ManyEyes. Check out these sites to find more information and the option to build images for your Infographics.
Final Thoughts
Infographics are important to any content marketing strategy for their ability to easily communicate complex data. Actually building an Infographic requires the talent of a graphic designer, marketing expert or someone with training. However, knowing why they are important and doing research to build them can be done by anyone willing to put in the time. Infographics will build a memorable and lasting image into your client or prospects mind, and are worth pursuing.