How to Get Infographics as Content Right
Visual summaries that combine data, illustration and short text to explain a topic.
Dana Whitfield
At a glance
- Accessibility images of text need text alternatives
- Search text inside images is not indexed as content
- Sources data shown must be cited
- Formats long vertical images are awkward on mobile
Why it matters
Why it matters: Infographics can travel well, but text locked inside an image is invisible to search engines and screen readers.
Best practice
- Publish the same content as HTML text
- Provide a full text alternative
- Cite every data source
- Design for mobile viewing
- Offer an embed code with attribution
Common pitfalls
Watch out for:
- Infographics as the only version of the content
- Uncited statistics
- Tiny text in large images
- No text alternative
When to call in a specialist
Bottom line Bring in help when data visuals support a campaign.
Where this comes from
- W3C Web Accessibility Initiative — Complex images
- Google Search Central — Image SEO best practices
The figures and practices above come from the sources listed.
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