As the digital landscape evolves and undergoes a revolution once again, SEO experts not only have to keep track of these changes and improve their strategies accordingly but also have to introduce new mantras and solutions to tackle challenges that are new to everyone in the game.
So even as search engines like Google and Bing give in to the demands of the masses and showcase multimedia elements along with their search results, businesses and content creators have no option but to follow suit and generate multimedia elements.
Of course, the optimization part of the process remains with the SEO team, and that’s what this post uncovers – how SEO experts are preparing for this shift. We also dip into the debate about whether these changes are here to stay or simply a passing trend.
Read on!
Written Content Alone No Longer Enough
Not long ago, I worked with an IT client who relied heavily on blogs for organic traffic. Their strategy worked well—until it didn’t. Rankings dropped, engagement stagnated, and competitors with visually-rich content began dominating the SERPs. It became clear that written content alone was no longer enough.
Google and Bing’s growing focus on multimedia—videos, images, infographics, and interactive elements—wasn’t just a trend; it was a fundamental shift. To adapt, we didn’t abandon written content but reimagined how it was created and presented.
We began integrating multimedia into their high-performing blogs. For example, in their post on “Common Cybersecurity Risks,” we embedded a 2-minute video, added a visually engaging infographic, and included screenshots to illustrate complex points. The result? Bounce rates plummeted, time-on-page doubled, and the article climbed back into the top three results for its keywords.
This experience showed us that multimedia doesn’t replace written content—it amplifies it. Search engines value multimedia because users do. Visuals clarify complex topics, while videos capture attention and engagement, creating a better user experience.
Lessons for Content Creators:
Think Beyond Keywords: Create resource hubs where written content supports multimedia. Written explanations can complement a video, ensuring accessibility for all learners.
Optimize Everything: Use alt text, schema markup, and keyword-rich descriptions to make visuals indexable. For example, tagging an infographic with “cloud security risks” improves SEO.
Engage on Multiple Levels: An IT guide can start with a short video, dive into detailed written steps, and conclude with a downloadable checklist, serving different user needs.
This shift isn’t temporary. It reflects how audiences consume information—quickly, visually, and interactively. As I saw with my IT client, embracing multimedia doesn’t replace written content; it elevates it. For content creators, the lesson is clear: evolve, integrate, and let your content not just rank—but resonate.
Vishal Shah
Sr. Technical Consultant, WPWeb Infotech
Multimedia Enhances User Engagement
As an SEO agency owner and specialist, I see the rise of multimedia as a fundamental shift rather than a temporary trend.
Search engines are prioritizing user experience, and visuals like videos, infographics, and interactive elements make content more engaging and easier to consume.
While written content remains important for SEO-especially for ranking keywords and providing detailed answers-multimedia acts as a complementary force, increasing dwell time and enhancing the overall value of your pages.
Content creators need to adapt by integrating multimedia thoughtfully. For instance, adding video summaries, custom graphics, or audio clips to written articles makes the content more dynamic and appealing.
At my agency, we’ve seen blogs with embedded videos and infographics outperform plain-text posts in both rankings and click-through rates.
The future of SEO is about balance-leveraging multimedia while ensuring written content stays detailed, accurate, and optimized.
Greg Walters
Co-Founder, SEO Modify
Combining Multimedia With Written Content
With the rise of multimedia content in search results, content creators must adapt to remain visible. However, written content remains an essential part of SEO.
For instance, when we launched our new website with video tutorials on how to prepare fresh seafood, we ensured the accompanying blog posts had detailed, SEO-optimized descriptions. This combination of visual content and written explanations boosted our search rankings by over 27% in just three months.
This shift is not temporary; Google and Bing are increasingly favoring multimedia, but well-crafted written content will still play a pivotal role. It enhances context, provides clarity, and supports multimedia elements with relevant keywords.
Our success shows that when multimedia and written content work together, it creates a stronger, more impactful SEO strategy.
Vrutika Patel
Chief Marketing Officer, Cambay Tiger
Strategic Blend of Written and Multimedia
While Google and Bing are increasingly prioritizing multimedia content in search results, well-written content remains a fundamental pillar of SEO. Here’s a breakdown of the impact and how X Agency can help clients adapt:
Impact:
Enhanced User Experience: Multimedia breaks up text and caters to users who prefer visual learning.
Improved Search Relevance: Images and videos can directly illustrate search queries, increasing user satisfaction.
Zero-Click Results: Search engines may answer queries directly with multimedia content, impacting click-through rates on written content.
However, written content maintains its value for several reasons:
Search Engines Still Rely on Text: Search algorithms analyze text to understand the context and intent behind a search query.
Accessibility and Readability: Not everyone has access to high-speed internet or prefers video content. Written content provides an accessible alternative.
Building Authority and Trust: In-depth, informative content establishes expertise and builds trust with users.
The key lies in creating a strategic blend of written and multimedia content. Here’s how X Agency can help:
Content Strategy: We analyze search intent and user behavior to determine the optimal content format (written, video, infographic) for each topic.
SEO Optimization: We optimize both written content and multimedia elements (captions, alt text) with relevant keywords.
Integrated Content Experiences: We create a seamless user journey by integrating written explanations with supporting visuals.
Written content still holds immense value. It provides context, depth, and structure for multimedia, helping search engines understand how videos or images relate to user queries. For instance:
Blog posts with embedded videos rank higher when they include descriptive text, transcripts, or schema markup. Product pages with detailed descriptions alongside high-quality images convert better and rank higher.
Multimedia is not a replacement for written content, but a powerful complement. By embracing this shift and implementing a strategic content approach, X Agency empowers clients to thrive in the evolving landscape of SEO.
Darwin Liu
CEO, X Agency
Written Content Complements Multimedia
The focus on multimedia in search results has opened up some great possibilities, but I still think that written material is the most valuable thing there is.
Video and picture content is great for getting people’s attention, but written content often gives users more information and more meaning. I worked on a campaign that started with a video tutorial that did well.
But when we added a full written guide to go with it, engagement and search rankings went up by almost two times as much. It showed how written material improves multimedia by answering search queries more fully and giving important background information.
I like combining these two things the most for best effect.
I have always had better results with my projects when I use infographics with well-researched blog posts or transcripts to make the most of video material. This mix works well because it gives people quick answers for those who want them and more in-depth answers for those who want them.
Written content is still important for building better relationships with both users and search engines, especially when used strategically with multimedia.
Filip Dimitrijevski
Business Development Manager, CLICKVISION BPO
Integrate Multimedia in SEO Strategy
The prioritization of multimedia in search results by Google and Bing marks a fundamental shift, not just a temporary trend.
While written content remains the backbone of SEO, multimedia elements like videos, images, and interactive graphics have become essential for staying competitive.
This shift reflects how users consume content—they’re increasingly drawn to visually engaging and easily digestible formats.
Content creators need to adapt by integrating multimedia into their strategies.
For example, pairing written blogs with explainer videos, infographics, or optimized images can enhance user engagement and increase the chances of appearing in rich search results.
Multimedia doesn’t replace written content; it amplifies its reach and impact.
The takeaway? SEO is no longer just about keywords and articles—it’s about creating a multi-dimensional experience that meets user intent across formats. Those who adapt will thrive in this evolving landscape.
Kyle Morris
CEO / Founder, LawTurbo
Written Content Remains Essential for SEO
Think of search engines like a busy Main Street. It used to be all about clear, bold text signs, but now it’s flashy neon lights, moving displays, and street performers juggling flaming swords (hello, videos and image carousels).
Google and Bing know people are drawn to color, movement, and variety, so they’re making it easier to spot videos, images, and interactive content.
But does this mean written content is being shoved into the back room like a forgotten old book? Not at all.
It’s more like how paperbacks didn’t die when audiobooks got popular – they just found a new balance.
Written content is still the roots of SEO, but now those roots need to feed a tree with branches of images, leaves of video, and maybe the odd podcast hanging like fruit.
This isn’t just a trend – it’s a shift. Words alone won’t cut it anymore. But they’re still essential. Even flashy videos need descriptive text for Google to understand what they are.
If your content is only text, you’re like that quiet bookstore on Main Street with no display in the window.
People walk past you.
Peter Wootton
SEO Consultant, The SEO Consultant Agency
Adopt Multi-Format Strategy
While multimedia boosts user engagement, written content remains essential for SEO. Search engines rely on text to understand context, index pages, and match intent.
However, its role is shifting from standalone to integrated support for multimedia, providing captions, transcripts, and metadata that help multimedia rank effectively.
Content creators must adopt a multi-format strategy by combining written content with relevant videos, infographics, and interactive elements.
They should focus on contextual alignment using written content to enhance the discoverability and value of multimedia and optimize multimedia with proper descriptions, alt text, and schema markup to maximize search visibility.
Smilja Pjesivac
SEO Manager, Swot Digital
High-Quality Text Supports Multimedia
The increasing prioritization of multimedia in search results by Google and Bing represents a fundamental shift, not just a temporary trend, in how users engage with content online.
Search engines are responding to user preferences for visually rich and diverse content formats, which means written content alone may no longer suffice for maintaining strong visibility in SERPs.
As a result, SEO experts and content creators must adapt by integrating multimedia elements-such as videos, images, and interactive content-into their strategies. This doesn’t diminish the value of written content but rather transforms its role.
High-quality, well-structured text remains critical for providing context to multimedia assets and supporting features like captions, alt text, and metadata.
Moving forward, search experts will need to offer services that encompass this multimedia shift, such as optimizing video for search, creating schema markup for multimedia content, and ensuring that multimedia elements align with the overall content strategy.
This evolution reflects a broader change in user behavior and will require a more holistic approach to SEO that accommodates the changing face of search results.
Blake Smith
Founder & SEO Consultant, Blake Smith Consulting
Optimize for Multimedia-Rich Environment
The increasing emphasis on multimedia content by Google and Bing significantly impacts the value of written content for SEO.
While text-based content remains essential for conveying detailed information and addressing complex queries, the rise of visual and interactive elements indicates a fundamental shift in how users engage with search results.
This trend is not merely temporary; it reflects a broader evolution in user preferences toward more engaging, visually rich experiences.
As search engines enhance their capabilities to understand and prioritize multimedia, content creators must adapt by integrating various formats, such as images, videos, and infographics, into their strategies.
This approach not only improves user engagement but also increases the likelihood of appearing in rich snippets and other AI-generated results.
Ultimately, while written content will continue to hold value, optimizing for a multimedia-rich environment is crucial for staying competitive in SEO.
Embracing this shift can lead to improved visibility and engagement across search platforms.
Sheraz Ali
Founder & CEO, HARO Links Builder
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