Adding images to your website can break up large chunks of text, bring in more traffic, and create visual interest. However, learning how to optimize images for SEO can strengthen your existing search engine optimization efforts and turn site viewers into meaningful leads. This guide explores several key tips for optimizing images for SEO that you can utilize for your website.
After reading, you can call our Peppermonkey Media team at (888) 231-9764 to learn more about our SEO service in NJ. We can answer any lingering questions you still have or provide our trusted SEO services. For now, you can consider the following ways to achieve search engine-optimized images.
Choose the Right Image for Your Text
Once you’ve learned how search engine optimization works, you’re likely looking to implement it in as many ways as possible on your website. Uploading relevant, high-quality images to your blog posts and other web pages is an excellent way to improve SEO, but you shouldn’t add just any image. Images can enhance the text and should remain relevant to the topic at hand, adding value instead of taking away from a page.
If you have a business, taking photos of you, your employees, and the company can increase brand awareness. It also feels more personal and makes site viewers want to connect with you. You could also use quality stock photos that fit your text if you don’t have any photos to share yet.
While several types of image formats are available, it’s also wise to choose the right one for your needs. Large images appear better as JPGs, while icons and logos do well as SVGs and still appear clear. You can further improve your image format efforts by learning which browsers and devices your site viewers use the most and then using the top format for your website’s images.
Rename Your Files
Selecting the right file name for your image is more important than most people realize. Having a clear and relevant file name helps Google better understand its relevancy and what other images to group it with. Many website owners make the mistake of leaving their file names as a jumbled mess of letters and numbers, but making this simple change can have a significant impact on SEO.
Using good keywords can help your image rank higher and appear for relevant terms, bringing more attention to your site. Since you can’t use underscores to name your files, a best practice is to separate words with hyphens. One example of an optimized file name is: plumber-fixing-sink.jpg.
Change Your Image File Size and Scale
Web pages need to load as quickly as possible so site viewers don’t become frustrated and seek content or services elsewhere. Scaling your images is essential to your digital marketing strategy and will decrease the amount of time your site takes to load images. If you’re wondering how to optimize images for SEO, consider adjusting file scale and size.
Displaying a large image at a smaller size still requires time to load, so you should resize your images to the size you want to display them at. This creates less work for your website and a better user experience for viewers. Besides the display image size, the file scale also matters.
Once you’ve scaled your image, you should make your file size as small as possible. You can compress it through WordPress, but compression in this way still might not achieve the smallest size. While some compression tools can reduce image quality, you can find ones that compress your file properly without negatively affecting the appearance of your image.
Include Captions and Alt Text
A critical aspect of image SEO is captions and alternative text, as these help for accessibility and scanning purposes. Captions about the image can improve the experience a user has on your site, but you don’t always need one for every image. Adding alt text helps viewers obtain the greatest amount of information without needing to see what an image is, such as if they have a visual impairment or the image won’t load properly.
While captains and alt text can positively impact SEO, it isn’t always necessary to include them with every image, just where it makes sense. If you’re interested in learning how to optimize images for SEO in another way, consider image titles. Titles can provide more details if a file name cannot properly cover what the image is about and needs some extra details.
Make Your Images Mobile-Friendly
You can’t ignore the members of your target audience who use mobile devices. Verifying that your images are clear and loading quickly can keep mobile site viewers engaged and loyal to your site. You also must check that you have responsive images, as this is key for SEO best practices.
Add Image Structured Data
Structured data helps images on your website appear in “rich results” or show them for the right type of text. For example, you can use structured data if your image belongs to a product you’re selling, a video, or a cooking recipe. It might not assist with ranking, but it does help with relevancy.
Include Images in Your Site Map
Site maps provide Google and other popular search engines with information about how you’ve structured your site and its content. It’s an excellent idea to add all images and videos to your site maps to ensure website crawlers don’t miss a single detail. When adding images to your site map, remember to include the following key details:
- Image caption
- Image description
- Image title
- License information
- Location
- URL
Crawling and indexing will yield better results when search engines have the fullest picture of your site. Having a good site map can help.
Learn More About SEO for Your Website With Peppermonkey Media
Now that you’ve discovered how to optimize images for SEO explore some of the most popular SEO trends in 2023. You can request a digital marketing consultation with Peppermonkey Media, a trusted NJ SEO agency in NJ, to see how we can grow your business to new heights. Call (888) 231-9764 to schedule your consultation session and reach your goals!
