Honestly, most infographics you see on LinkedIn or Pinterest are just glorified spreadsheets with a few icons slapped on them. They’re boring. They don't move the needle because they’re trying to be everything to everyone. If you want to know how to create a good infographic, you have to stop thinking about "design" for a second and start thinking about "narrative."
Google Discover is a fickle beast. It doesn't care if your hex codes are trendy. It cares if people are stopping their scroll because your data tells a story that hits them in the gut. We’ve all seen the generic "5 Tips for Remote Work" graphics. They’re white noise. To rank on Google in 2026, you need more than just a pretty picture; you need an information asset that earns backlinks because it’s the most efficient way to understand a complex topic.
The Data-First Trap and Why Your Story Matters
Most people start in Canva. That’s the first mistake. You should start in a boring Google Doc or a physical notebook. If your data is weak, no amount of drop shadows will save it. You’ve gotta find the "hook" in your numbers.
Let’s say you’re looking at a dataset about coffee consumption. A bad infographic just lists the top five countries. A good one? It explores the correlation between coffee intake and GDP per capita, or maybe it maps the "anxiety-to-caffeine" ratio across different industries.
Data isn't the story; it’s the evidence.
I remember looking at a piece by The New York Times Upshot team. They didn't just show "here is the rent." They showed the "path to the middle class." That’s the difference. When you're figuring out how to create a good infographic, ask yourself: "What is the one surprising thing this data proves?" If you can't answer that in ten words, your graphic will fail.
Finding the Tension
Every great infographic has tension.
- Expectation vs. Reality.
- The Past vs. The Future.
- The "Big Name" vs. The Underdog.
If you’re just presenting facts, you’re making a chart. If you’re presenting a conflict and a resolution, you’re making an infographic. Google’s algorithms are increasingly sophisticated at understanding the "helpfulness" of content. A graphic that resolves a user's curiosity or solves a specific problem through visual hierarchy is a massive SEO signal.
Design Principles for People Who Aren't Designers
You don't need a degree from RISD. You just need to respect the "Eye Path."
Most readers scan in an F-pattern or a Z-pattern. If you put your most important takeaway in the bottom right corner, nobody is ever going to see it. It’s basically invisible. You want to lead the reader's eye. Use size to dictate importance. Big numbers for big deals. Small text for the "fine print" or citations.
White space is your best friend. Seriously.
Stop trying to fill every single pixel with a squiggle or a logo. If the eye has nowhere to rest, the brain gets tired. And a tired brain clicks away. This is especially true for Google Discover. Users are browsing on mobile. If your text is too small or your layout is too cluttered, they’ll bounce faster than you can say "bounce rate."
The Color Problem
Don't use 15 colors. Just don't. Pick two primary colors and maybe an accent color for the stuff you really want people to notice. Use high contrast. If you're putting light grey text on a white background, you’re basically telling people with visual impairments (and everyone else, honestly) to go away.
Think about the "Squint Test."
Squint at your screen. If you can still tell what the most important part of the graphic is while everything is blurry, you’ve nailed the visual hierarchy.
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Why SEO for Infographics is Different Now
In the old days—like, five years ago—you’d just throw an infographic on a page, write 200 words of alt-text, and call it a day. That doesn't work anymore. Google's Vision AI can literally "read" the text inside your image. It knows if you’re keyword stuffing.
To rank, your infographic needs a "supporting cast." This means:
- A Long-Form Blog Post: You need at least 1,000 words of context around the graphic. Explain the methodology. Why did you pick these stats? What do they mean for the reader?
- Schema Markup: Use
ImageObjectschema. Tell Google exactly what the image is, who made it, and where it lives. - Embed Codes: Make it easy for people to steal your work (with a link back). This is how you build the backlinks that drive your rankings up.
If you're wondering how to create a good infographic that stays relevant, look at what Visual Capitalist does. They don't just post a picture. They provide a deep-dive analysis that makes the image the "anchor" of the page, not the whole page itself.
The Discover Secret: Aspect Ratio and Title
Google Discover loves images. But it loves certain images. Usually, a 1200px wide image is the minimum. For infographics, which are often tall, you need to provide a "summary card" version that is 16:9 or 4:3. If you only provide a massive vertical scroll, Google might not pick it up for the Discover feed because it doesn't fit the UI.
And the title? Make it "Discovery-friendly." Instead of "2026 Marketing Stats," try "Why 70% of Marketers are Worried About 2026."
Common Mistakes That Kill Engagement
The "Icon Soup" is a big one. You know what I mean—using a different icon style for every point. One is a 3D bubble, one is a flat line drawing, one is a photo. It looks messy. It looks like an amateur did it. Consistency is what separates the pros from the "I just opened a template" crowd.
Another thing: Fake precision.
If your data says "about half," don't write "50.123%." It looks suspicious. People can smell "manufactured" data from a mile away. Stick to real, verifiable numbers from reputable sources like Pew Research, Statista, or primary case studies.
Accessibility is Not Optional
If you want to rank, your infographic has to be accessible. This isn't just about being a good person; it's about the fact that Google rewards pages that follow Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
- Provide a text transcript of the infographic.
- Ensure the color contrast is high enough.
- Use descriptive file names.
good-infographic-marketing-trends.jpgis a million times better thanfinal_final_v2.png.
The Technical Side of Speed
Big images are heavy. Heavy images slow down your site. Slow sites don't rank.
Use WebP format. It’s 2026; there’s no reason to be using massive JPEGs unless you’re a photography portfolio. You can get the same quality at 30% of the file size. Lazy loading is also a must. You want the rest of your page to load so the user can start reading while the big, beautiful graphic is still fetching from the server.
Building the "Viral" Engine
You've finished the graphic. You've written the post. Now what?
You need to seed it. Reach out to the people you cited in the infographic. "Hey, I featured your study in this new visual guide, thought you might like to see it." Half the time, they’ll share it. That’s your initial boost.
Post "micro-snippets" on social media. Take one specific stat from the infographic, turn it into a square image, and link to the full version. This creates a funnel. You’re not just asking for a "big" commitment (reading a long graphic); you’re giving them a snack that leads to the meal.
A Note on Tools
You don't need to spend $500 on software.
- Affinity Designer: Great for one-time payments and professional vector work.
- Figma: Surprisingly good for infographics because of the layout grids.
- Flourish.studio: If you have complex data that needs to be interactive.
Interactive infographics are actually a massive trend right now. Google loves them because they increase "dwell time." If a user is clicking around a map or toggling filters on a chart, they stay on your page longer. That tells Google: "This content is gold."
Actionable Next Steps to Get Started
Audit Your Data
Before you touch a design tool, find three data points that contradict what "everyone knows" in your industry. If you can’t find a counter-intuitive fact, your infographic will just be another echo in the chamber. Search through recent whitepapers or industry reports from the last 12 months to ensure your info is fresh.
Wireframe Without Color
Open a tool like Excalidraw or just use a piece of paper. Draw where the header goes, where the three main points sit, and where the conclusion is. Do not think about colors or fonts yet. Focus entirely on the logical flow of information. If it doesn't make sense in black and white boxes, it won't make sense as a finished product.
Create a "Social-First" Slice
Once the main infographic is done, crop a specific, high-impact section that works as a standalone 1080x1080 image. Write a specific meta description for this slice. This is what you will use to pitch to journalists or use as the featured image for the post to capture Google Discover's attention.
Write Your Transcript
Create a dedicated section below your infographic titled "Infographic Transcript" or "Key Findings." Use H3 headers for each section of the graphic. This ensures that even if the image fails to load, or if a search engine crawler is having a bad day, your content is still indexed and readable by everyone. This is the single most overlooked step in how to create a good infographic that actually ranks.