An analysis of 98 pieces of sports data journalism reveals deficits in accessibility, semantic structure, credibility and metadata, key factors for their digital competitiveness.
Video abstract: https://youtu.be/tUJ6_PeVyKk?si=8SXEeZwsQlT-V14U
[Barcelona, Alicante, December 2025]. Data visualizations have become one of the most innovative resources in sports journalism. However, a recent study shows that, despite their narrative and aesthetic quality, an important part of these visualizations presents shortcomings in multiple parameters of digital visibility, fundamental so that they can compete in an information ecosystem dominated by algorithms.
The research analyzes 98 internationally awarded sports visualizations between 2021 and 2023 and evaluates them using the SEOVisFrame method, a framework that considers 33 indicators distributed in five dimensions: technical SEO, content SEO, graphic component optimization, credibility (EEAT) and off-page SEO.
Main deficiencies: authority and accessibility in minimum
The research finds that, although the newsrooms have solidly incorporated practices related to technical performance, such as mobile optimization, the use of the HTTPS protocol or compliance with the Core Web Vitals metrics, there are still significant shortcomings in key aspects for visibility, especially in terms of accessibility, transparency and content authority. While technical SEO reaches 84.26% compliance, the EEAT factors (authorship, sources and methodology) are at a poor 24.27%, and the off-page SEO barely reaches 12.51%.
The analysis also reveals an uneven optimization of graphic resources. Although the quality of the images is high, a very small use of alternative texts, long descriptions or the presence of metadata is detected, elements that condition both accessibility and the ability to be efficiently processed by search engines. In parallel, the presence of the keyword in secondary headings and in semantic elements remains below levels considered optimal.
The Spanish media, at the top in compliance level
By country, Spanish media records the highest degree of compliance, at 34%. They are followed by China and Hong Kong, while Australia is at the opposite end, with the lowest level, 25%, almost ten points below the maximum.
The study concludes that, despite the high narrative and technical quality of the award-winning visualizations, the media still do not fully integrate SEO strategies aimed at improving their organic visibility. The authors, Ruben Alcaraz-Martinez, Mari Vállez, Raquel Escandell-Poveda and Diana Baja-Cedeño, from the universities of Barcelona and Alicante, recommend incorporating these criteria from the initial phases of the editorial process and advancing the systematization of practices related to accessibility and information transparency.
About the study:
The research, entitled «Data Journalism in sports media and web visibility: evaluation with the framework SEOVisFrame», has been published in Studies on Journalistic Mensaje, a leading academic journal located in outstanding positions within the category of Cultural Studies in Scopus, one of the main international scientific databases. The study has been developed by researchers from the University of Barcelona and the University of Alicante and is based on the analysis of 98 sports visualizations awarded by the Society for News Design between 2021 and 2023.
Access to the study
Alcaraz-Martínez, R.; Vállez, M.; Escandell-Poveda, R., i Bajaña-Cedeño, D. (2025). Periodisme de dades en mitjans esportius i visibilitat web: avaluació amb el marc SEOVisFrame. Estudios sobre el Mensaje Periodístico, 31(4), 979–991. https://doi.org/10.5209/esmp.103385
