9 Image Optimization Tips to Boost your SEO Score

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.
For other articles to help you grow your
business, visit www.primeview.com/blog
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