Learn how to make images search engine friendly and load faster with this article.
When it comes to image SEO, there are a few key things you can do to make sure your images are as search engine friendly as possible.
But why should you care?
Well, according to self-described “image SEO expert” Ian Howells, images make up over 50% of the average web page’s weight.
And as we all know, page speed is a key ranking factor for SEO. So, if your images are slow to load, it’s going to drag down your whole page’s performance. But don’t worry, here are ten practices to make your images more SEO friendly:
Use Relevant and Accurate Alt Text
The first and most important thing you can do for your images is to use relevant, accurate alt text. Alt-text is the text that appears in place of an image if the image can’t be displayed for some reason.
But it also serves as a key way for search engines to understand what an image is about. So, when you’re adding alt text to your images, be sure to describe the content and function of the image as accurately as possible.
Include Keywords in Your Alt Text
Another tip for optimizing your alt text is to include keywords that you want to rank for. This will help search engines understand what your images are about and how they relate to the rest of your website’s content.
Just be sure not to stuff your alt text with too many keywords or you could end up getting penalized by Google.
Use Descriptive File Names
Another important factor for image SEO is the file name. When you save your images, be sure to use a descriptive file name that includes keywords related to the image.
This will help search engines understand what the image is about and how it relates to your website’s content.
Choose the Right File Format
When it comes to choosing a file format for your images, there are three main options: JPEG, PNG, and GIF.
JPEGs are best for photos or images with lots of colors. PNGs are best for graphics with few colors or transparent backgrounds. And GIFs are best for animations or short videos.
So, when you’re choosing a file format for your images, be sure to choose the one that’s best suited for the type of image you’re using.
Compress Your Images
Another important factor to consider is image size. Large images can slow down your website and make it harder for search engines to crawl and index your content.
So, it’s important to compress your images before you upload them to your website. There are a few different ways you can do this, but we recommend using an online tool like TinyPNG or Kraken.io.
Add Structured Data Markup
Structured data markup is code that you can add to your website to help search engines understand the content on your pages.
One type of structured data markup is JSON-LD, which you can use to mark up images. Adding JSON-LD to your images will help search engines understand the content of your images and how they relate to your website.
If you’re not familiar with coding, you can use a tool like Schema App to generate the code for you.
Use Lazy Loading for Your Images
Lazy loading is a technique that allows you to load images only when they’re needed. This means that instead of loading all of the images on a page when it first loads, only the images that are visible on the screen are loaded.
This can help reduce the amount of time it takes for a page to load, which is good for both users and search engines.
Optimize Your Images for Mobile
More and more people are using mobile devices to access the internet, so it’s important to make sure your images are optimized for mobile.
There are a few different ways you can do this, but one of the easiest is to use responsive images. This means that your images will automatically resize to fit the screen they’re being viewed on.
You can also use a separate mobile version of your website that uses smaller, lower-resolution images.
Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
A content delivery network (CDN) is a system of distributed servers that deliver web content to users based on their geographic location.
Using a CDN can help improve the loading time of your website by delivering images from a server that’s closer to the user’s location.
There are a few different CDN providers you can choose from, but we recommend using Cloudflare or StackPath.
Monitor Your Image Traffic
Finally, it’s important to monitor your image traffic to make sure your images are being found and indexed by search engines.
The best way to do this is to use Google Search Console. This is a free tool that allows you to see how your website is performing in Google search results.
Once you’ve set up an account, simply add your website and click on the “Search Traffic” tab. From there, you can click on “Image Search” to see how your images are performing.
By following these tips, you can make sure your images are SEO-friendly and help improve your website’s visibility in search results. Do you have any other tips for image SEO? Share them in the comments below! Happy blogging! : )
