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9
Image Optimization
Tips to Boost your SEO Score
Images are essential for websites, because they help emphasize a point and provide visualization of your message. However, images are not just for visual design; it is also essential to your SEO score.
That’s why it’s imperative to optimize your images for search engines as well.
1 Use the right image Don’t use a picture just for the sake of having an image. Images should reflect what you’re talking about in your article or what you’re selling if you have an ecommerce website.
Tip: To find the images that match your needs, you can go to popular sites that feature free for commercial use images like Pexels, Pixabay, Unsplash, and Public Domain Archive.
2 Write appropriate file names Search engines also pay attention to the filename of your images to understand what they’re all about. So don’t skimp on time when writing file names and make sure that they are descriptive enough.
Tip: If you’re featuring an image of a luxury bag in your post, it’s best to set the file name according to its brand and model.
3 Determine the right file format to use File format is another essential factor that you need to work on for images you want to use on the web.
3 / Determine the right file format to use
The formats usually used for images online: ● JPEG (.jpg) - A file type used when you want to reduce the image size without compromising on the quality too much. It is also considered as the default image format for most images on the internet today. ● GIF (.gif) - A file type used for more simple images such as icons and animations. Not an ideal format picture to use for a product shot or a landscape image. ● PNG (.png) - A fairly new file type compared to JPEG and GIF. However, it’s better than GIF and doesn’t decrease in quality as JPEG does. But it's bigger in size and not widely supported.
4 Compress your images Page speed is a ranking factor for Google, and the size of your images can affect how long a web page will load. The larger the size, the slower the load time.
Tip: If you're using Adobe Photoshop, you can use the “save for web” option to reduce the size of your image before uploading it to your website.
5 Don’t neglect putting an alt text Optimizing your alt text is a way to describe what’s in the picture to search engines as well as visually impaired users who use screen readers when they surf the web.
Tip: To boost your SEO score, you can incorporate appropriate keywords in your alt text. Keep it in context and make it understandable by search engine crawlers and users alike.
6 Manage your thumbnails accordingly If images used as thumbnails are not compressed enough, they can slow down loading time which can turn potential clients off.
6 / Manage your thumbnails accordingly
Tip: Keep your thumbnails as small as possible. Don't worry too much about the quality as they are not designed to be big and detailed. The alt tag should be different from its bigger and clearer version so that search engines will not be confused which to index.
7 Avoid third-party image hosting services Steer clear of third-party image hosting websites. There’s always the risk of your images being deleted or blocked especially when they are loaded with traffic. That results in the images not to show up on your website.
8 Use an image sitemap An image sitemap provides more information about the images used on your website, even those that are loaded by a JavaScript code.
Tip: If you have an existing sitemap, you can simply add image details on it. You can also create a separate one for your images. Don't forget to use the proper tags as recommended by Google.
9 Refer to Google Posting Guidelines Google has set out image posting guidelines that can help you optimize your pictures better for user experience and SEO score.
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