Top 10 Important Image SEO Tips for Higher Rankings
Think about the last time you uploaded a photo to your website. chances are high that you downloaded it from a stock photography site, uploaded it to the backend of your site, and so inserted it into the page.
This makes it a shining example of image optimization, right not quite. You’ve added a giant ball weight to your site that’s slowing down the page speed. And, search engines can’t read your images without alt text.
Over 20% of all U.S. Web searches are conducted on Google Images, which is consistent with JumpShot's 2018 data. SEO amateurs and pros alike know that optimizing images for your website is notoriously worth the time spent. Dan Morgan at WebSpection got one in every one of his photos to rank #1 in Google Images for “best person in Cardiff” in but four days by optimizing his image. And, Robbie Richards generated 150,732 visits by adding image alt tags, compressing images, and some other SEO tricks.
Without proper image optimization, you are wasting a valuable SEO asset.
[ads1]
It’s just like the search engines are giving {for free|freely giving|giving freely} Oreos and milk for free. But, you only take the Oreo. When actually, the Oreo is much better dunked in milk. Image optimization creates many advantages like better user experience, faster page load times, and additional ranking opportunities. And, it’s becoming an increasingly more important role.
Here are the top 10 important image optimization tips you need to know:
[ads2]
You want your images to appear on your website. If you fill your website with stock imagery, you will look unrealistic - like thousands of other sites that are not separate. Many websites are cluttered with the same common stock photos.
Think about a corporate website, a consulting company, or a business that prides itself on customer service. of these websites use virtually the same looking stock image of a businessman smiling. While your stock images will be greatly improved, they will not have the same effect as the original, high-quality image or potential SEO benefits. The more original pictures you have got, the better experience for the user and also the better your odds are of ranking on relevant searches.
As Google suggests in its Advanced SEO Resources:
Decoding all the varied image formats can want your first time ordering at Taco Bell. But, before you'll be able to start adding images to your site, you want to make sure you’ve chosen the most effective file type. While there are many image formats to choose from, PNG and JPEG are the best common for the web.
[ads3]
To me, PNG is the so-called hero of image formatting. But, for my daily use, PNG is that the thanks to go then convert those into WebP. Just take care if you’re using .jpg images inside an inline SVG format as Google’s systems can’t index these.
Yep, hell hath no fury like bloated web content after uploading an image that’s not compressed. Search engines will look at|take a look at| to observe|study} your web content like you might look at a big vat of Crisco: You can’t seriously be considering putting that on your website, right?
According to HTTP Archive, images make up on average 21% of a complete web page's weight.
That’s why I highly recommend compressing your images before uploading them to your site. you'll do this in Photoshop otherwise you can use a tool like TinyPNG. TingPNG also has a WordPress plugin you'll use too.
[ads2]
However, I prefer WP Smush as my WordPress plugin. It reduces the image file size without removing the quality. Whatever plugin you use, make sure to find one that compresses the pictures externally on their servers. It reduces the load on your own website. Or Take it a step further and use an image CDN that detects the device and improves the image before delivery. Cloudinary and Imgix are two options to do out.
Increasingly.com improved website speed by 33%/2 seconds by compressing images. I mean, there’s just something sexy about faster page speed once you compress your images. If you’re unsure how your images are affecting your page speed, i like to recommend using Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool.
Regardless of the image files, you select to use, make sure there’s no copyright conflict. The postal service is paying $3.5 million in an image copyright lawsuit. And, Skechers got sued for $2.5 million. If Getty, Shutterstock, DepositFiles, or another stock photo provider owns an image you use, and you don’t have a license to use it, then you’re risking an expensive lawsuit.
Under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), you'll be issued a notice if you've got violated any copyright issues. If the owner of a bit of content sees their content on your website, they'll issue a DMCA Takedown which you need to befit. Google Images lets you filter results based on the results available for reuse, and Mandy Weinstein shares 41 different websites to find free images.
[ads4]
Structured data markup your content types to guide google and search engines to deliver better visual results. Essentially, Google could serve your images as a chic result if you add structured data.
For example, if you’re using schema markup on a product page and you label the image as a product, Google could pair this image with a tag. Search engines skip the algorithm and use the information provided within the structured data to produce the right image.
When it comes to SEO, creating descriptive, keyword-rich file names is completely crucial. Not customizing your image file name is like getting a burrito with nothing in it. It just plain sucks.
Image file names alert Google and other search engine crawlers on the subject matter of the image.
Typically, file names will seem like “IMG_745017” or something similar. It's like ordering from a menu in a different language. It doesn’t help Google.
[ads1]
Rename the file by default to help search engines understand your image and improve your SEO value. This involves a bit of work, depending on how extensive your media library is, but changing the default image name is often a good idea.
Let’s pretend you've got an image of cherry as an example. I could name it simply “cherry” but if you sell cherry on your website, potentially every image is often named “cherry-1,” “cherry-2,” and then on.
Google updated its Image Guidelines. every one of the major updates they revealed was that they use the file path and file name to rank images.
Repeat: File path and file name are the actual ranking factors.
For example, if you’re an e-commerce brand with multiple products, instead of placing all of your product images into a generic /media/ folder, I might recommend structuring your subfolders to more category related topics like /shorts/ or /denim/.
[ads2]
Alt tags are a text alternative to images when a browser can’t properly render them. almost like the title, the alt attribute is used to explain the contents of an image file.
When the image won’t load, you’ll get an image box with the alt tag present within the top left corner. make sure they fit with the image and make the image relevant. Paying attention to ALT tags is also beneficial for an on-page SEO strategy. you wish to make sure that all other optimization areas are in place, but if the image fails to load for any reason, users will see what the image is supposed to be.
Plus, adding appropriate alt tags to the pictures on your website can help your website achieve better rankings within the search engines by associating keywords with images. Google has even commented on the value of ALT text in images. It provides Google with useful information about the subject of the image. We use this information to help determine the most effective image to return for a user’s query. ALT text is required under the American Disabilities Act for individuals who are unable to look at images themselves. A descriptive alt text can alert users exactly what's within the photo. as an example, say you've got an image of chocolate on your website.
[ads4]
ALT-Text is viewable within the cached text version of the page, aiding in its benefit to both users and therefore the search engines. For further SEO value, the alt text can act because the anchor text of an inside link when the image links to a different page on the website.
Google also revealed that it uses your page title and description as a part of its image search algorithm.
All of the basic SEO factors on your page, such as metadata, header tags, on-page copy, structured data, etc., affect how Google ranks your images. It's like putting all your toppings on your Barretto. It tastes much better with guacamole. So, be sure to add guac to improve the image rating.
[ads2]
Whether you’re adding your images to your sitemap or creating a new sitemap for images, you would like images somewhere in your sitemaps. Placing your images in the sitemap greatly increases the chances of search engines crawling and indexing your images. This results in more site traffic.
If you are using WordPress, Yoast and RankMath offer a sitemap solution in their plugins.
So, before you start uploading your image to your site, make sure to follow the image optimization rituals from above. The most important thing is to create sure the image and alternative text are relevant to the page. Other key takeaways:
[ads2]
Optimizing images are not a joke. With advancements in voice search technology, media may be of growing importance and your entire site will benefit from taking the steps above.
This makes it a shining example of image optimization, right not quite. You’ve added a giant ball weight to your site that’s slowing down the page speed. And, search engines can’t read your images without alt text.
Over 20% of all U.S. Web searches are conducted on Google Images, which is consistent with JumpShot's 2018 data. SEO amateurs and pros alike know that optimizing images for your website is notoriously worth the time spent. Dan Morgan at WebSpection got one in every one of his photos to rank #1 in Google Images for “best person in Cardiff” in but four days by optimizing his image. And, Robbie Richards generated 150,732 visits by adding image alt tags, compressing images, and some other SEO tricks.
Without proper image optimization, you are wasting a valuable SEO asset.
[ads1]
It’s just like the search engines are giving {for free|freely giving|giving freely} Oreos and milk for free. But, you only take the Oreo. When actually, the Oreo is much better dunked in milk. Image optimization creates many advantages like better user experience, faster page load times, and additional ranking opportunities. And, it’s becoming an increasingly more important role.
"All we know is that the search for media is so overlooked that what it has the potential to do for publishers is why we're putting more engineers at it as more accessible."
Here are the top 10 important image optimization tips you need to know:
[ads2]
1) Create Unique Images
You want your images to appear on your website. If you fill your website with stock imagery, you will look unrealistic - like thousands of other sites that are not separate. Many websites are cluttered with the same common stock photos.
Think about a corporate website, a consulting company, or a business that prides itself on customer service. of these websites use virtually the same looking stock image of a businessman smiling. While your stock images will be greatly improved, they will not have the same effect as the original, high-quality image or potential SEO benefits. The more original pictures you have got, the better experience for the user and also the better your odds are of ranking on relevant searches.
As Google suggests in its Advanced SEO Resources:
"Large images must be at least 1200 px wide and have maximum image-preview enabled using large layout, or AMP."
2) Choose The Right Format
Decoding all the varied image formats can want your first time ordering at Taco Bell. But, before you'll be able to start adding images to your site, you want to make sure you’ve chosen the most effective file type. While there are many image formats to choose from, PNG and JPEG are the best common for the web.
[ads3]
- PNG: Produces the best quality for images, but comes with larger file size.
- JPEG: you will lose image quality, but you'll be able to adjust the quality level to find a good balance.
- WebP: Choose lossless or lossy compression using this, the sole image format supported by both Chrome and Firefox.
To me, PNG is the so-called hero of image formatting. But, for my daily use, PNG is that the thanks to go then convert those into WebP. Just take care if you’re using .jpg images inside an inline SVG format as Google’s systems can’t index these.
3) Compress Your Images
Yep, hell hath no fury like bloated web content after uploading an image that’s not compressed. Search engines will look at|take a look at| to observe|study} your web content like you might look at a big vat of Crisco: You can’t seriously be considering putting that on your website, right?
According to HTTP Archive, images make up on average 21% of a complete web page's weight.
That’s why I highly recommend compressing your images before uploading them to your site. you'll do this in Photoshop otherwise you can use a tool like TinyPNG. TingPNG also has a WordPress plugin you'll use too.
[ads2]
However, I prefer WP Smush as my WordPress plugin. It reduces the image file size without removing the quality. Whatever plugin you use, make sure to find one that compresses the pictures externally on their servers. It reduces the load on your own website. Or Take it a step further and use an image CDN that detects the device and improves the image before delivery. Cloudinary and Imgix are two options to do out.
Increasingly.com improved website speed by 33%/2 seconds by compressing images. I mean, there’s just something sexy about faster page speed once you compress your images. If you’re unsure how your images are affecting your page speed, i like to recommend using Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool.
4) Beware Of Copyright
Regardless of the image files, you select to use, make sure there’s no copyright conflict. The postal service is paying $3.5 million in an image copyright lawsuit. And, Skechers got sued for $2.5 million. If Getty, Shutterstock, DepositFiles, or another stock photo provider owns an image you use, and you don’t have a license to use it, then you’re risking an expensive lawsuit.
Under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), you'll be issued a notice if you've got violated any copyright issues. If the owner of a bit of content sees their content on your website, they'll issue a DMCA Takedown which you need to befit. Google Images lets you filter results based on the results available for reuse, and Mandy Weinstein shares 41 different websites to find free images.
[ads4]
5) Add Structured Data
Structured data markup your content types to guide google and search engines to deliver better visual results. Essentially, Google could serve your images as a chic result if you add structured data.
For example, if you’re using schema markup on a product page and you label the image as a product, Google could pair this image with a tag. Search engines skip the algorithm and use the information provided within the structured data to produce the right image.
6) Customize Image File Names
When it comes to SEO, creating descriptive, keyword-rich file names is completely crucial. Not customizing your image file name is like getting a burrito with nothing in it. It just plain sucks.
Image file names alert Google and other search engine crawlers on the subject matter of the image.
Typically, file names will seem like “IMG_745017” or something similar. It's like ordering from a menu in a different language. It doesn’t help Google.
[ads1]
Rename the file by default to help search engines understand your image and improve your SEO value. This involves a bit of work, depending on how extensive your media library is, but changing the default image name is often a good idea.
Let’s pretend you've got an image of cherry as an example. I could name it simply “cherry” but if you sell cherry on your website, potentially every image is often named “cherry-1,” “cherry-2,” and then on.
7) Think about The Image File Structure
Google updated its Image Guidelines. every one of the major updates they revealed was that they use the file path and file name to rank images.
Repeat: File path and file name are the actual ranking factors.
For example, if you’re an e-commerce brand with multiple products, instead of placing all of your product images into a generic /media/ folder, I might recommend structuring your subfolders to more category related topics like /shorts/ or /denim/.
[ads2]
8) Write SEO-Friendly ALT Text
Alt tags are a text alternative to images when a browser can’t properly render them. almost like the title, the alt attribute is used to explain the contents of an image file.
When the image won’t load, you’ll get an image box with the alt tag present within the top left corner. make sure they fit with the image and make the image relevant. Paying attention to ALT tags is also beneficial for an on-page SEO strategy. you wish to make sure that all other optimization areas are in place, but if the image fails to load for any reason, users will see what the image is supposed to be.
Plus, adding appropriate alt tags to the pictures on your website can help your website achieve better rankings within the search engines by associating keywords with images. Google has even commented on the value of ALT text in images. It provides Google with useful information about the subject of the image. We use this information to help determine the most effective image to return for a user’s query. ALT text is required under the American Disabilities Act for individuals who are unable to look at images themselves. A descriptive alt text can alert users exactly what's within the photo. as an example, say you've got an image of chocolate on your website.
[ads4]
ALT-Text is viewable within the cached text version of the page, aiding in its benefit to both users and therefore the search engines. For further SEO value, the alt text can act because the anchor text of an inside link when the image links to a different page on the website.
9) Optimize Your Page Title & Description
Google also revealed that it uses your page title and description as a part of its image search algorithm.
All of the basic SEO factors on your page, such as metadata, header tags, on-page copy, structured data, etc., affect how Google ranks your images. It's like putting all your toppings on your Barretto. It tastes much better with guacamole. So, be sure to add guac to improve the image rating.
[ads2]
10) Add Images To Your Sitemap
Whether you’re adding your images to your sitemap or creating a new sitemap for images, you would like images somewhere in your sitemaps. Placing your images in the sitemap greatly increases the chances of search engines crawling and indexing your images. This results in more site traffic.
If you are using WordPress, Yoast and RankMath offer a sitemap solution in their plugins.
Image Optimization Key Takeaways
So, before you start uploading your image to your site, make sure to follow the image optimization rituals from above. The most important thing is to create sure the image and alternative text are relevant to the page. Other key takeaways:
[ads2]
- Choose the right file format. PNGs are my favourite for screenshots.
- Reduce file size for faster page load speed.
- Make sure your on-page SEO elements (metadata, structured data, etc.) pair along with your image.
- For crawlability: Create a picture sitemap or make sure your images are featured in your sitemap.
Optimizing images are not a joke. With advancements in voice search technology, media may be of growing importance and your entire site will benefit from taking the steps above.
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