Did you know that Internet users share 1,099 posts per second? The Internet has become a chock-a-block place with content. It’s a battle for eyeballs out there, making it even more challenging for brands to engage their audiences.
People have seen mediocre content enough. All those text-heavy paragraphs are more like a chore for the audience to consume. No one has time (and energy!) to scroll through a whole batch of data and statistics to get to the juicy bits.
They want informational content that is also simple on the eyes so they can swiftly process the messages. No matter how brilliant and high-quality content you write, when it looks bulky, your readers will lose interest. This is where visual content fits into the picture.
Let’s see how visual content can help you get more eyeballs on your website and even help your Google rank.
What Is Visual Content?
Visual content is any kind of imagery that can help deliver your message. This includes:
- Photos
- Videos
- Illustrations
- Charts
- Infographics
- GIFs
- PowerPoint Slides
Visual content can be a potent tool for engaging your audience when used properly. People are more likely to remember information that is presented to them in a visually appealing way.
In fact, our brain processes visuals 60,000 times faster than text.
This is why visual-first social media platforms like Instagram and Pinterest are so popular. People can quickly scroll through a feed and stop at the images that capture their attention.
The right visual content will also make your brand more relatable. People are more likely to connect with a brand that they can relate to on an emotional level.
How Visual Content Can Improve Your SEO Rank
Now that we understand how visual content can help you engage audiences faster, let’s see how it can also help your SEO rank.
1. Google Loves Visuals
It is no secret that Google loves fresh and relevant content. By producing quality visual content, you are more likely to show up on the first page of a search engine result. For instance, a website with a video is 53 times more likely to appear on the first page of Google search results.
This is because Google’s algorithm favors websites that provide users with a great experience. If your website is informative and easy to navigate, Google will be more likely to rank it higher.
2. Visual Content Is Highly Shareable
Additionally, visual content is more shareable on social media, emails, and even your landing pages. When your content is shared, it creates backlinks to your website, which also improves your SEO rank. Not to mention that it also helps to increase brand awareness and reach.
A study showed that articles with an image every 75-100 words got twice as many social media shares as articles with fewer images.
This is because visuals have a higher chance of grabbing scrollers’ attention and causing them to interact with your content.
3. Visual Content Increases Dwell Time
A user’s dwell time is the length of time they stay on your website before departing. It contributes significantly to SEO rankings. Your ranking will benefit more from visitors staying on your website for a longer period of time.
This is where visuals come in handy again. When used correctly, visuals can help increase dwell time by keeping users engaged with your content. It signals to Google that you provide quality content that people want to see.
For instance, if you have an infographic on your website, users will likely spend more time looking at it and sharing it. Your dwell duration and SEO rank both benefit from this.
4. Visual Content Helps You Target Long-Tail Keywords
Long-tail keywords are specific and usually have low search volume. They are great for ranking because they are less competitive.
For instance, instead of targeting the keyword “games,” you can target the long-tail keyword “blockchain games play to earn.”
By including visuals in your content, you can target long-tail keywords more effectively. This is due to users’ likelihood of using images to search for more specific terms.
So, if you have a blog post about “a list of blockchain games,” you can include an image of the interface screenshot in the blog post. This will help you rank for the long-tail keyword more effectively.
5. Visual Content Helps With Your Online Reputation
Your online reputation is important for your SEO rank. Google takes into account the number of reviews and ratings you have when ranking your website. A positive online reputation means higher authority and ranking.
By producing quality visual content, you are more likely to get positive reviews and ratings. This is because people are more likely to recall a brand that provides excellent graphics.
Additionally, by including visuals in your content, you are more likely to get shared and mentioned by other websites. Your Internet reputation and SEO ranking will benefit from this.
6. Visual Content Can Help You Rank For Featured Snippets
Featured snippets are the boxes that appear at the top of the search results. They are designed to give users the information they are looking for as quickly as possible.
To rank for featured snippets, you must create high-quality, relevant, and informative content. This is where visuals can help.
By including visuals in your content, you are more likely to get featured in the featured snippet. This is because people are more likely to click on a result that has an image.
7. Visual Content Can Help You Rank In Google Images
Google Images is a powerful tool that can help you drive traffic to your website. In order to rank in Google Images, you need to optimize your images. This means adding keywords to your image file name and alt text.
When people search for images related to your keywords, your images will appear in the search results. By including visuals in your content, you are more likely to rank your images in Google Images, which might generate more backlinks to your site.
This can assist you bring more traffic to your website and boost your SEO ranking.
Wrapping Up
In conclusion, visual content is a powerful tool that can help you improve your SEO rank. And creating them doesn’t have to be all complicated and expensive.
There are tons of graphic tools like Canva, Wepik, Venngage, Powtoon, and even stock image websites like Unsplash that you can use to create visuals for your website.