Visual content is integral to web content and can contribute to the user experience of your site. However, it clearly does not carry the same features that written content has for a premium SEO strategy.
This is an issue for visual creators, as it can be tricky to figure out how to best optimize their content for better rankings amongst the search results.
Due to the format of visual content, there cannot be a reliance on the quantity and quality of backlinks, or keyword density. Instead, these creators should focus on other parts of the optimization process so as to maximise the performance of their site.
Here are some tips for improving the SEO of your visual content!
Make sure to deliver value
Above all, in SEO, the content you are creating should be delivering value to those who view it. Think about what your audience can gain from seeing your site, and how you can serve that user benefit.
For example, users often share content in order to seem smart, funny, or witty. By creating content users connect with, you will be able to increase the likelihood of it being shared and further circulated.
Create a good user experience
User experience, or UX, is a good component of improving your site’s SEO. UX refers to a combination of elements, such as page layout, usability, load time, and ease of use.
If your site does not consider these elements and deliver them at a good standard, it is affecting the first impression of your site. Statistics show that if your site takes longer than 4 seconds to load, a quarter of viewers will abandon it.
Creating a good user experience is essential if you want your site’s redeeming qualities to be discovered.
Make your content sharable
The popularity and sharing of your content on social media can lead to a higher ranking, as Google’s algorithm now considers the social success of posts.
It is particularly beneficial for visual content, as creators now have multiple avenues through which they can access their audience, and their audience can access their work.
Visually geared sites such as Pinterest are great for the SEO of your visual content, as the format of the site is picture-based and encourages sharing.
To encourage social sharing, make sure that you have a clear title, description, and strong metadata to accompany your content.
Use keywords
While keywords aren’t as relevant in pictorial content, there is still an opportunity to target them through accompanying text. One strategic way to target keywords is by aiming for smaller, niche searches.
Rather than aiming for broader, general search terms that might have a lot of traffic but also plenty of competition, narrowing down your targets to longer keyword searches which are still effective can improve your site’s visibility.
Make your content platform agnostic
Being platform agnostic means that no matter what platform the content is being viewed on, it should be displayed properly. This feature becomes increasingly important as the diversity of our technological devices increases.
If your content isn’t being displayed properly across all platforms, there is a risk that you are missing out on valuable traffic. From tablets, smartphones, to desktops – make sure that you cover all your bases.
Unfortunately, this factor is harder to control with pictures than text. However, it is now often the case that sites are built on responsive design, and will adjust the layout depending on the platform detected by the web browser.
It is important to ensure your website is up-to-date so that you can maximize the quality and SEO of your visual content!