One of the most effective SEO blogging tips points to the importance of visuals as a communication tool. People can have difficulty retaining information solely through text. Also, they may avoid text-filled sites because the pages provide little opportunity for skimming — a preferred reading method of searchers. While visuals are necessary for website development, especially for the attractiveness of a page, they can also contribute to a consumer’s or visitor’s understanding of the content. That said, selecting visuals, pictures and videos, requires research and time. The process cannot be haphazard, especially if you want to experience any real benefits like consumer connection.
The Importance of Visuals in Content Creation
Visuals help convey a message or tell a story. The images or videos must connect to the textual information on the page, or they serve no purpose — other than nonsensical decoration. If you create a page about the latest style trends and include pictures of outdated fashion or images that have nothing to do with fashion, how does it complement your text or add value to the reader? That is not to say there isn’t a place for pictures that seem off the mark at first viewing; for instance, while a piece about current fashion may not seem like the appropriate place for an image depicting older trends or fads, it might work if the section it appears in discusses the history of fashion.
The point is to consider the implications of visuals and how they add value rather than detract from them. Visuals are important because they complement text and aid in understanding. As you search through possible images or videos to add to your content, consider how visuals benefit your pages and select them under those contexts.
1. They Create Connections
Visuals are aides; they help people make connections to the text. A series of visuals should tell the story of the text like a picture book. While they may not hold as much detail as the surrounding paragraphs, a visitor should understand elements of the text by simply looking at or reviewing the imagery on the page. As the visitor reads the text to gain further context, the videos and pictures should help bolster the textual argument.
2. They Break Up Monotony
In blog content strategy, marketers understand that large blocks of text are inhibitive to conversions or actions. Most web users want to get to the meat of an argument or sales pitch as quickly as possible, so when confronted with large swaths of text, a consumer is likely to click away.
Including images in a longer piece helps to make the text appear more digestible or approachable, as does writing in shorter paragraphs of only a few sentences. As a web designer or content creator, your job is to keep people on a page as long as necessary. Visuals draw people in and possibly down a page; they can also encourage visitors to stick around long enough to read the pitch or story.
3. They Are Memorable
If nothing else, visuals are or should be memorable. You want people to keep your product, service, or message in mind long after they leave your website; visuals can help with that. If a video or image is unique to the content and effective, a person might keep it in mind for days, weeks, or even months after they close their internet window.
4. They Capture Attention
Ultimately, marketers and web designers use visuals to capture visitor attention without distracting from a message. When a visual works well, it should draw a person’s attention to the textual content of a page and help push them down the page to the call to action.
Unfortunately, the visual aspect of a content creation strategy is challenging, often requiring the guidance of an experienced professional or service. Contact Unwired Web Solutions for your visual and content marketing needs.