How Infographics And SEO Work Together (+ How To Create One That Works)

When it comes to SEO, infographics are an underrated powerhouse. Not only do they make complex information more accessible, but they also hold the power to boost your search engine rankings and visibility. So, as SEO continues to evolve, leveraging such visually engaging content can give you a serious edge in the digital landscape. How? Well, this comprehensive guide to infographics and SEO will soon reveal all…

We’ll cover:

• What is an infographic?
• Infographics in the world of image search
• Why infographics and SEO work together
• What makes for an effective infographic
• A step-by-step guide to creating your first one

what is an infographic?

As the name aptly suggests, an infographic is a way of communicating information through a graphic. Usually, they will consist of several elements such as images, graphs, and text to present complex issues in a way that is easy to understand and quickly digestible.

With roots tracing back all the way to ancient visual communication methods, like cave paintings and Egyptian hieroglyphs, infographics have been welcomed by internet users due to their shareable designs and comprehensive messaging. As such, all kinds of businesses – from small startups looking to scale, to global household names – are using them to convey important information about their brand, products, or services.

types

Different types of infographics serve different purposes, meaning that your choice is important for making your message as clear and engaging as possible. The table below offers some quick information about each of the most common types.

Type	Purpose	Best For	Example
Process	Shows steps in order	Explaining workflows or services	Interior design service from consultation to finish
List	Displays tips or items	Quick info or product lists	Top 10 holiday essentials
Timeline	Shows events over time	Storytelling or company history	Brand story from start to now
Comparison	Side-by-side contrasts	Comparing products or features	Comparing sofa fabric types
Map	Visualises geographic data	Locations or regional information	Store locations
Chart	Displays data visually	Showing stats or trends	‘What our customers say’ review synthesis
Decision	Helps guide choices	Decision-making aids	Which laptop model decision tree

why infographics are so useful

By now, you’ve likely got a few ideas about why infographics are so useful, but if you’re curious about their role specifically in content marketing, allow us to reiterate:

1. They quickly grab attention, essential in our digital world where people tend to skim through content.
2. They simplify complex information, avoiding overwhelming or boring your audience.
3. They boost engagement since individuals tend to spend more time on pages with compelling visuals.
4. They increase shareability, especially across social media, blogs, and websites.
5. They support brand authority by serving as brand mentions but also demystifying complicated topics.

Together, these benefits make infographics the crème de la crème of marketing strategy, combining clarity, creativity, and reach in a way that brings your brand to the forefront.

infographics in the world of image search

Before getting into exactly why infographics and SEO work together, it’s essential to first understand the changing landscape of search itself – especially with the rise of image-based discovery.

Tools like Google Lens, Pinterest Lens, and even Bing Visual Search allow users to upload or take photos and instantly receive related search results, bypassing traditional text queries. This shift is particularly impactful in visually-driven contexts, such as for fashion SEO, where images form the crux of consumer choices.

how does image search work?

Just like with text-based SEO, search engines crawl the web to find images to index in their databases. When doing so, they use the image itself alongside the surrounding information on the page. Consequently, visual search engines still rely heavily on metadata (think file names, alt text, captions) to understand what an image represents.

That said, visual recognition technology can identify objects, shapes, colours, and text within the frame. So, when someone uses image search, the engine attempts to match the input image with those in its database, ranking them based on relevance, quality, and engagement signals: along the same lines of ranking for standard text-based content.

how do infographics fit into all of this?

Infographics, with their rich combination of eye-catching visuals and concise text, are positioned particularly well to capitalise on this change. When well-designed and optimised, they can appear in image search results, dramatically increasing your visibility and attracting high-intent users. This is because, unlike simple photos, infographics provide context and information alongside visuals, making them more valuable to both users and search engines.

Ultimately, then, as image search grows in sophistication, incorporating infographics into your content strategy could be the difference between being found and being forgotten.

why infographics & SEO work together

Now that we’ve got the industry developments out the way, let’s explore exactly why and how infographics and SEO are such a perfect pairing. Keep in mind the primary SEO principle: create meaningful and relevant content for users, and search engines will follow.

unrivalled shareability

Infographics are often highly shareable across a variety of platforms, from social media to informative websites, and search engines have a strong affinity for such content. When users share your infographic, they’re essentially doing part of the marketing work for you by driving mentions and even more traffic to your brand. Plus, these signals give search engines the green light that your content is truly valuable, helping to improve your SERP rankings.

improved visibility

When infographics are optimised correctly, they can lead to hugely enhanced visibility across search engines. Through metadata such as alt text, file names, and image descriptions, search engines can better understand the message your image is trying to convey. But it doesn’t stop there. Since infographics are both visually and verbally rich, they’re more likely to appear in both image search results and in text search results, leading to more clicks and improved SEO performance as time goes on.

backlinks galore

Backlinks are one of the most powerful ranking factors when it comes to SEO, and infographics are an excellent means of generating them. If your infographic is compelling and clearly has something to offer, it has a higher chance of being linked to by other websites, blogs, and individuals in your niche. These backlinks then act as “votes of confidence” for your content, signalling to search engines that your website is a credible and authoritative source worth returning to users. In a sentence: the more backlinks your infographic earns, the higher it can rank in search results.

better engagement

Another major benefit of infographics in SEO is their ability to improve genuine user engagement levels. People are naturally drawn to visual content, and infographics are no exception. When users spend more time interacting with said content, this sends yet another positive signal to search engines, indicating that your site is providing value – not to mention, users will be more inclined to see what else your brand has to offer.

what makes for an effective infographic?

All that SEO success sounds like a dream, right? Well, to get there, you’ll need to create an infographic that meets several key criteria, which, you guessed it, we’re about to cover; don’t we spoil you?

1.      relevant

Your infographic must directly address the interests and needs of your target audience, aligning with their search query. In other words, it should do something, whether that’s solving a problem, answering a question, or offering insights. At the centre of this is knowing who you’re creating your infographic for, and what it is they’re seeking.

2.      clear

Clarity is king in the infographic world. A good image will simplify complex information through concise text, easy-to-read fonts, and clear visuals that make the message digestible. Avoid clutter, ensure a logical flow, and break information into sections, and you’ll be well on your way to better engagement levels.

3.      scannable

The whole point of an infographic is that it conveys the message quickly and efficiently. So, make sure that it’s easy to scan, with obvious section breaks, bullet points, icons, and highlights. Someone should be able to look at the image and extract the core message almost immediately, without having to read all the fine print.

4.      branded

Don’t overlook this opportunity to get your brand image out there! Use your colour palette, font combinations, and overall tone to create a cohesive visual and textual experience. You wouldn’t want to put all the work into creating a stand-out graphic only for an audience to instantly forget who created it. 

5.      accessible

To reach a wider audience and align with contemporary expectations, implement accessibility in all of your infographic and SEO efforts. Use legible fonts, avoid unnecessarily complicated language, and ensure that your visuals are clear to all types of readers. Additionally, consider colourblind accessibility by avoiding problematic colour combinations. Alt text is another must – not just for optimisation – but so those with visual impairments can also understand what you’re attempting to get across.

6.      optimised

To make the most of your infographic, say it with us: It. Must. Be. Optimised. For. SEO. This includes using an accurate and keyword-rich file name, image alt text, and metadata. Optimising your infographic also means ensuring that it is high quality but not too large in file size – it should load quickly without compromising resolution.

a step-by-step guide for your first SEO infographic strategy

We’ve got all the boring theory out the way, now let’s get down to business. Below, we’ll walk you through an example process for creating your very own SEO infographic. In this scenario, we’ll use the case of a health and wellness brand creating an infographic called “7 Healthy Habits for a Balanced Life”.

1.      choose a topic

The topic you select should be relevant and valuable for your target audience. In this case, “7 Healthy Habits for a Balanced Life” targets those who are already looking for wellness tips and lifestyle improvements, providing a useful evergreen source for advice.

You could also use tools like Google Trends or Mangools’ KWFinder to discover which terms and topics are trending in your industry and build an infographic around that.

2.      draft the copy

The infographic copy should offer valuable information in a straightforward and digestible format. If possible, sprinkling in a few stats to back up your claims can improve your credibility.

Here’s how the copy might look for our wellness example:

• ‘Start Your Day With Water’
• ‘Move Your Body Every Day’
• ‘Practice 5-10 Minutes Of Mindfulness’

Keep it relatively short and actionable. Remember, infographics are meant to convey information quickly and efficiently. That said, different types of infographics may require slightly different amounts of information and tone of voice to fulfil the purpose. Just make sure that you do exactly that – not too much more, not too much less.

3.      design the infographic

Now comes the fun part: designing the visuals! Your goal is to make it eye-catching and easy to understand. Use a clean and simple design that’s on-brand and mobile-friendly, since that’s where the majority of users will encounter your finished product.

For our wellness brand example, we could:

• Use icons to visually represent each habit. For example, a glass of water for hydration, or a meditation pose for mindfulness.
• Choose a calming colour scheme that reflects wellness, drawing on colour psychology to do so. Think soft greens, blues, and neutrals.
• Organise the content in a clear numbered flow so that readers can easily follow each step.
• Select minimalist and calming fonts to reflect the likely preferences of the target audience.

4.      optimise for SEO

Now that you’ve completed the infographic itself, it’s time to optimise it for SEO. This is how your infographic will be noticed and understood by both search engines and users.

Consider:

• Naming your file descriptively with relevant keywords, such as ‘7-healthy-habits.jpg’.
• Adding alt text to your image that describes the content, also focussing on keywords – for instance: ‘7 healthy habits for a happier mind and body, including meditation, hydration, and movement.’
• Adding accompanying content – even if it’s a brief blog post –  around the infographic to provide context for search engines. For instance, an introductory sentence such as: ‘In this infographic, we outline 7 healthy habits that can transform your wellness routine.’

5.      distribute the finished product

Once everything is in order, it’s time to share your infographic with the world. Do some research into where your key audiences spend most of their time and share it accordingly. In our wellness brand example, we might distribute it via:

• General social media – Using a compelling caption and incorporating hashtags like ‘#wellnessjourney’ or ‘#healthyhabits’ to help reach a wider audience.
• Pinterest – Since Pinterest is a visual platform, it’s perfect for infographics. We could pin it to a board like ‘healthy living tips’ or ‘wellness habits’.
• Email newsletter – Including the infographic as part of a longer wellness update can encourage sharing to other platforms whilst also contextualising the content.
• Website – Adding a downloadable version of the infographic as part of a longer blog post on wellness tips could increase site dwell time. Plus, including easily accessible social media sharing buttons on the site will also improve shareability.
• Outreach – Sending your infographic to other sites, either as a form of guest blogging or as supporting content for an existing blog can encourage the crème de la crème of SEO: building backlinks.

6.      track the results

Finally, keep an eye on how well your infographic is performing. Are people engaging with it? What are they doing once they encounter it? Use analytic tools to check traffic and monitor mentions and backlinks. Then, based on the results, you can tweak future designs and targeting.

final thoughts: creating visual value

Infographics and SEO are like two peas in a pod. Combining the pair in one strategically designed image is a great way to educate your audience, increase brand visibility, and boost engagement.

By following the advice outlined in this guide, you’ll be well positioned to create visual content that attracts new customers and improves your online presence. Happy designing!

Looking for more? There’s plenty more expert advice where this came from over on our digital marketing blog.