Who doesn’t love a good quiz, handy infographic or funny poll? These are all examples of digital interactive media and they are always difficult for online users to pass up. Implementing digital interactive media into your business’s blog posts and webpage content can increase the blog’s SEO value and offer your readers more value.
There are many more benefits to including interactive and data-rich media into your blog posts. Read on to learn them all.
Interactive media refers to any content that invites active participation from the user, offering a two-way communication experience rather than passive consumption. This can include videos, infographics, quizzes, polls, calculators, interactive maps and more.
Here’s an example of interactive media:
Digital interactive media–also known as data-rich media–both captivates your audience and keeps them on your page for longer session times — a critical factor for SEO success.
Don’t be surprised when your business’s digital marketing encounters a whole new level of success and online buzz when you incorporate digital interactive media
Interactive media content helps lower bounce rates – a metric that search engines consider when determining the quality of your content. When a user visits a blog post and encounters an opportunity for added value, such as downloading an infographic, participating in a poll, or exploring an interactive map, they become more inclined to stay engaged and thoroughly read the blog — ensuring they don't miss any other fun, interactive elements.
Feel free to add several kinds of interactive media throughout your blog posts and webpages. However, keep in mind that stuffing your posts with data-rich content can be distracting and take away from important CTAs attached to the piece.
Dwell time, the amount of time a user spends on your page, is a key indicator of content relevance. Digital interactive media can significantly extend dwell time as users engage with the content, signaling to search engines that your page offers valuable information.
Make sure that the interactive media offered is valuable as well. Your audience is more likely to share a well-crafted video or infographic, which draws even more traffic to your business.
Interactive media with high-quality content has a higher likelihood of being shared across social media platforms and being linked to by other websites. This generates valuable backlinks and signals search engines that your content is authoritative and relevant.
Creating sharable content is a science and art form all its own. Read more about how to create compelling, shareable content here.
Search engines prioritize user experience. Digital interactive media content enhances UX by providing engaging and informative experiences, encouraging visitors to explore and navigate your site more extensively.
When creating interactive media content, consider including these three pillars: education, entertainment and decision.
Educational interactive media pieces provide valuable and relevant information to an online researcher. The user might not be ready to buy quite yet, but offering them value in their researching stage can help your business be top of mind when it does come time to buy.
Entertaining interactive media content exists solely to delight the online user. Appealing to a user's emotions, whether it makes them laugh or provides a moment for reflection, is a powerful way to stay in their memories and position yourself as a viable option to fulfill their needs.
Decision interactive media is designed to push a consumer into that last phase of the sales funnel and make a purchase. For instance, an interactive media piece could be taking part in a poll to receive a coupon code or sharing a video to their social media for a chance to enter a raffle.
Your interactive media should span all three of these pillars and always remain aligned with the blog post or webpage’s most important CTA.
Interactive elements can be optimized with relevant keywords, captions and alt text — contributing to improved visibility in search engine results. Make sure all meta tags and image descriptions are search engine optimized for best crawlability.
Create interactive infographics that allow users to explore data visually. Ensure these infographics are shareable, which can lead to increased traffic and backlinks.
Your infographic’s design can make or break your target audience's experience. Branding and thoughtful design are key to ensuring visual appeal and readability. They should also nudge the online user down the sales funnel by building trust, industry authority and offering relevant value. Keep in mind, the infographic should align with the blog post or webpage’s overall CTA.
Craft quizzes related to your content that users can participate in. Include industry-relevant questions to demonstrate your expertise and engage visitors. However, don’t be afraid to branch out beyond your industry or niche down to something specific mentioned within the blog to create a humorous or meaningful moment.
Quizzes and polls can be an excellent way to add life into drier topics and create a memorable piece. Get creative and collaborate with others to find the perfect mix of energy and information.
For complex topics, consider creating step-by-step interactive tutorials or guides that offer valuable insights to users while keeping them engaged. For example, include a video where the user must click ‘next’ or click on certain elements to keep the video playing. Additionally, creating interactive how-to guides that move on once the user completes a certain action can keep users on the page while completing their desired task.
Incorporating interactive media within your blog posts can supercharge your SEO efforts by improving user engagement, reducing bounce rates and boosting dwell time. By enhancing the user experience and encouraging backlinks and social shares, you'll send powerful signals to search engines that your content is valuable and worthy of higher rankings. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, embracing interactive media is a strategic move that can set you apart in SEO success.
RevLocal is a full service digital marketing agency. We specialize in creating personalized digital marketing solutions for small business and multi-location brands that can withstand rapidly changing digital landscapes. To learn more about how we can help your business grow, contact us today for a free consultation.
Taylor Rice, Blog Contributor
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