What is a heat map?

A heatmap is a map or diagram that visualizes data and makes it easy to understand. Similar to the images of a thermal imaging camera, these are displayed with different colours and point clusters. The data displayed in this way in the heat maps show the user behaviour of a website.

Structure and application areas of a heat map

On a heat map the numerical values collected by a software are displayed in different colours according to their size. The resulting map can thus make the movement patterns of the users visible. One advantage is that large amounts of data can be quickly overlooked in this way. The heat map shows at a glance which areas of a page are attractive or rather uninteresting for the viewer. The display is similar to that of a thermal imaging camera (hence the term), using different colours and clusters of dots. A heat map can record the mouse movements of users, which allows webmasters to determine which areas are attractive to them and which areas lead to them leaving a website. Heatmapping” can be used for many purposes. For example, it can be used to determine whether certain changes in design lead to different user behavior. The heatmap uses different colors, which are assigned to high or low temperatures, just like weather maps. The classic heat map has such colours as red (very hot), orange (medium hot), yellow (warm), green (cool) and blue (cold). Transitions are formed by gradations of the individual colours. An eye tracking analysis, for example, can reveal dark red fields, which means that the eyes of the viewer have stayed on these parts of the page for a particularly long time. In contrast, dark blue areas were not even touched by the eyes of the test subjects.

The Use of Heatmaps in Online Marketing

For marketers and SEOs heat maps are quite interesting and useful tools. Especially in online marketing it is known to be important to analyze user behavior and the structure of your own pages thoroughly. From these analyses, important suggestions and conclusions for OnPage optimization arise. Among other things, heat maps are used to localize important areas of a page. It is then possible to place particularly relevant or important content there. This ultimately leads to an increase in the click-through rate (CTR). Last but not least, a heat map also increases usability. The heatmap also provides important clues for the design of a website. Heatmaps are equally interesting analysis tools for SEOs and marketing strategists. For example, SEOs can use heat maps to localize important areas of a website in order to place relevant content there, which in turn can lead to a higher CTR. At the same time, the heatmap helps to increase the usability of a website. For web designers, it can provide clues for the design of a website. The optimal position of various page elements can also be better thought through and planned. Heatmaps can visualize very different things that happen on the website: Mouse movements, user clicks, reading directions, dwell time and other eye movements. With all these colored diagrams you can find out what is already working (well) and what is not yet working. The knowledge gained can then be used to optimize the site very well after the cause study. The analysis of the user behaviour is carried out with the help of software such as plugins or special online services. Certain tools differentiate between new and recurring viewers by color. Analysis tools for mobile pages examine, for example, the scrolling behaviour and taps, which ultimately determines the click rate and the dwell time