SEO and Data Porn

In the course of working in SEO, I come across a lot of data. Well, if by "come across" we mean a kind of plow-through/am-at-times-overwhelmed-by hybrid. Being of a fairly nerdy turn of mind constitutionally (have a board on my pinterest account dedicated to the latter), and having to juggle multiple considerations about what to include and what not to include in my work, and determining what approaches are bearing fruit.

Overall, I encounter a lot of material that may (or may not! :/) help me interest others in what I am doing and what clients I am trying to drive traffic to their blogs/sites/social accounts, etc. Perhaps unsurprisingly, I do from time to time realize how my own interests do not conform with things others might find interesting.

In fact the I have a tendency to geek out over data generally (to wit: I frequent the Data is Beautiful subreddit). Okay, so to give an example of data I find appealing, see the following:

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I don't just like this. I love it. I could stare at this for a long, long time. Here's one that gets me in touch with my inner dweebiness even more:

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Even more than the first data-driven image, this second one even more adeptly shows you what *actually* happened in the 2012 Presidential Election. However, both of them get my geeky juices flowing in that they avoid the incredibly misleading stuff you see when a map is not adjusted proportionately:

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No matter what one's politics are, it is easy to look at the above and come to the (incorrect) conclusion that there were more votes for the "red" side than the "blue." This is why I particularly love the county based map, where it really shows how actual votes broke down. A more complex rendering, and still a bit difficult to read is the following:

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(from: http://www.gislounge.com/post-election-maps-for-the-2012-presidential-election/)

What the above ads in nuance it adds in difficulty. And yet, it is probably the last of these charts that most excites my nerdy tendencies. Admission: I can look at these maps over an over and not lose interest!