What is a Heatmap?
A heatmap is a type of data visualization that employs color-coded graphical representations of data, typically used to show the intensity of an observation relative to other observations within a dataset. Heatmaps are often used to represent the distribution and trends of quantitative data over two or more variables. By visualizing data in this manner, heatmaps can provide meaningful insight into correlations between variables within a dataset.
Heatmaps are similar to histograms in that they both visualize the distribution of values within a dataset. However, unlike histograms, which usually use bars or lines to plot occurrences for multiple categories or bins, heatmaps use colors as visual cues to represent different levels of intensity in numerical values across the dataset.
Example of a Heatmap
A digital marketer creating a heatmap collection to test a landing page and then deciding to move a CTA button above the average fold, reducing churn and increasing sign-ups for their website or product.
A heatmap from Google Maps documentation that shows every click (or other tracking event) associated with a position, which radiates a small amount of numeric value around its location. These values are totaled together across all events and then plotted with an associated colormap.
