Picture an average web page. It features a title, some blocks of text, a navigation bar and perhaps a footer notice. If the designer has been paying attention to user scanning behaviour, the page will feature a slick design with plenty of room around the content. Certain words may be highlighted to draw user attention to important terms. The page may have been optimised, but from a user perspective, it isn’t optimal.

Now, picture a different web page. Beside the title is a simple image, adding weight to the title’s message. Further down the page is a video, playable if the user chooses. Somewhere along the right margin is an interactive tool, perhaps a search box and a simple survey. This page isn’t that much different from the first page, but somehow it’s more engaging. It presents a small world, full of personality, instead of a piece of bleak, grey web space.

The objects featured on the hypothetical page described above are the bells and whistles of the internet. Some pages make the mistake of featuring too many objects, resulting in a cacophony. One or two of these bells and whistles, however, adds a little melody to your otherwise silent page, entertaining your users.

Including an interesting object or two on your pages doesn’t take much effort, and can pay dividends. Bells and whistles are part of the reason for the upsurge in Viral Campaigns in recent years. Companies have figured out that interesting features promote user retention. Users tend to come back to a site that has entertained them, developing long-lasting relationships. For many businesses, the simple edition of video content or a search box results in increased conversion rates.

The type of object that would best suit your pages will depend on your site and its users. Many businesses that use informative articles as a source of fresh content have found that adding an instructive video every now and then boosts traffic and encourages return visits. If your site is extensive, a search box or tag cloud might prove useful. Podcasts are also growing in popularity, and free software is always a good attention-getter.

A particularly interesting object can also net your site good press and inbound links. For example, a retail site that adds a comprehensive search function to its pages will please existing users. If none of the site’s competitors features such an object, that pleasing factor may generate reviews and recommendations, furthering its off-page SEO. If your object sets you apart from your competitors, it can be worthwhile advertising the fact by contacting prominent bloggers and industry press. New objects can be great linkbait, and you can talk to our experts at SEO Consult about using your site’s assets to garner links.

There are SEO implications to objects on web pages that need to be taken into consideration. If you add image or video content, remember to include keywords in file names and apply appropriate tags and captions. Talk to your consultant about superior SEO for objects.

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