Images Versus Videos, What Gets a Better ROI for SEO?

Cartoon image of a purple computer screen with cartoon man in an orange top and blue pants with a speech bubble, talking in front of a camera on a tripod.

Images are like snapshots, while videos are like being at the party.

When it comes to SEO, both images and videos can play important roles in improving your website's performance and user engagement.

But which one actually gets better returns?

After some analysis, there's no definitive answer regarding which one provides superior ROI for organic traffic, conversion rates, and revenue generation. While both images and videos are valuable, they may not boost your business in the same way. What you decide to include on your website will largely depend on factors like your industry, target audience, budget, goals, and content strategy.

Nine small boxes with an image of one woman making a different emotional reaction with her face in each box.

When considering what to use on your website, images and/or videos, their features, benefits, suitability, and costs will help you make informed choices as you start experimenting with visual content.

Images

Images are a concise and static representation of information, used to convey simple concepts, data, or visuals. When chosen carefully, images can evoke strong emotions in users and get their interest.

Images make content visually appealing and easily digestible, which helps improve the website’s CTR (click-through rate). They capture users' attention and convey key messages.

When users browse websites, images enable them to rapidly scan through content, which not only saves them time but also increases the likelihood that they will click on the Call to Action (CTA) button.

Images typically load faster and are universally supported across all devices and browsers, this is a major advantage over videos.

You can enhance the SEO optimization of images by incorporating relevant keywords within the file name, alt text, and caption. Combining these elements will contribute to boosting your website's search rankings.

Videos

Once primarily associated with entertainment, videos have evolved into a valuable medium for a wide range of online content.

Videos are being used to tell brand stories, show complicated processes, or demonstrate things that are not possible solely with written content, images, or a combination of both. Videos keep users engaged for longer durations.

Brands increasingly use videos to grab attention and engage users, with over 90% of businesses employing them for marketing in 2023.

Hosting videos on platforms like YouTube and optimizing them for SEO gives businesses an edge by helping them tap into the wider user base of this platform and potentially drive more traffic to their website.

So, Which is Better?

Images and Videos for SEO!

Woman giving two thumbs up for images and videos in SEO.

The best strategy is to incorporate both images and videos into your SEO efforts while creating content that resonates with your audience. However, there are specific areas of content marketing where images and videos prove their individual successes.

Where images are a great fit?

Blog posts - to break down information and emphasize concepts.
Product pages - showcasing products from different angles.
Infographics - simplifying complex data and information, while making them attractive.
Logo, icon, or chart - to quickly represent your brand’s components and value.
Social media posts - on Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter to grab user attention and promote sharing.
Thumbnail previews - on videos to give viewers a glimpse of what is inside the video.

Where videos can be a great fit?

Product demonstrations - to showcase features, usage, and benefits, for a better understanding of the product.
Tutorials and How-to guides - to demonstrate processes and step-by-step guides.
Brand stories and narratives - to engage viewers on a deeper level and build stronger connections with the audience.
Webinars, interviews, and live podcasts - for more meaningful interactions and events.
Video testimonials - from satisfied customers (Much more impactful than written testimonials).
Virtual tours - of the officer, facilities, and destinations.

Both images and videos offer their own set of advantages in getting ROI for SEO. Combining both strategically often provides the most engaging and comprehensive user experience.

If you need help incorporating or adding videos and images to your content, contact Klusster Media. We can analyze user engagement metrics and guide adjustments and improvements to your visual content strategy.