subject: Infographics & SEO [print this page] Infographics & SEO Infographics & SEO
That day in office after the Saturday session, this word suddenly popped up "Infographic". It sounded so techy and so geeky to begin with. But a little search on Google revealed I already knew a lot about it, have also used it quite a number of times without however knowing that the term used for it was "infographic".
For knowledgeable ignorants like me "Infographic" means any information that is presented in a graphical form. It is a simple combination of two words- information and graphics. From the route maps you have seen while travelling on highways to the Science diagrams your son draws for his Practical Exams, everything technically falls under infographics. Moreover our forefathers also used Infographics in the form of cave paintings and maps.
So why is there a sudden interest in a form which always existed? I can easily think of atleast 3 things without taking help of the all-knowing Google:
My Biology teacher always used to tell me that a well-drawn diagram is better than a full page written textshe was so true!
With people having lesser and lesser attention span, it is better to convey the maximum information in the minimum timeand an infographic can very easily do that.
Infographics look a lot more interesting and appealing than a page of black text scribbled on a white background.
So how does Infographic help in Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?
By this time we all know that Google spiders are too dumb to understand images. So how can we use these pictorial representations for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) :
If you have created it, you should get the credit for it. Ensure that you host your infographic on your domain. This gives you the much needed link credit.
It's your baby, name it properly. Googlebots cannot read images but they can read the Alt Text related to your image. Ensure that you use the appropriate Alt Text for your image. Also use keyword- rich Title tag and Description for your Infographic.
Publicity is the key for all SEO. Talk about your Infographic on Social Media sites like Twiitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon, etc.
Sites like Flickr and other data visualization directories can also go a long way in generating that buzz around your infographic.
Make your infographics free and accessible.
But before you go ahead and start creating an infographic to get those valuable links to your site, here are a few tips to get you started:
Like with any content, your infographic should be unique and interesting.
Information shared through the graphic should be verifiable and should have a reliable source.
It should be aesthetically pleasing.
It should be relevant and have a purpose.
Loading Time should be kept in mind while creating the Infographic.
