There is no doubt that images are important for any website.
Images not only add visual depth but also make the website look beautiful.
A website can provide right information to its target audience and make realize the true potential of the website with the proper use of Images.
However, images are even more important when it comes to SEO.
Because Images can be used strategically for boosting the rank of the website
The optimized SEO images on every page of your website can help your website to rank higher in search engines and drive more visitors.
“By utilizing the power of proper optimization, you can turn images into a valuable SEO asset for your website”.
In fact the size & quality of the images on your website affect a website’s performance like other optimization factors.
More importantly, when your website’s images are well optimized then it will ensure a better user experience.
And this will definitely have a positive impact on the overall search engine performance of your website.
However, images can help your SEO in following ways:
- Image optimization can add value to your website
- You can deliver a better user experience by optimizing images appropriately
- With right image optimization, faster page load times can be achieved
- With the subtle use of images, more ranking prospects can be developed
- Images can give better search results and deliver value to users
Therefore, visual search is on the rise and if you seize the opportunity early there will be better chances for the growth of your website and business. Let’s discuss about “How to Leverage Images for Boosting SEO Rankings”.
How to Optimize Images for SEO
1. Leverage High-Quality Images
When we talk about using images for rankings then you should avoid putting a wrong impression. Otherwise, the results might vary to what you think.
Therefore, relying on the stock images can put you in trouble and as earlier as you understand that the better results will you get.
The generic stock images will never be able to give your site to stand out from the crowd.
You can therefore opt for, ”optimizing stock images” and even the results would be just like standard result, but at least it is what you want from SEO?
So, you should only use original and high-quality images and then get them optimized in order to make them an asset for your website.
“If you use duplicate & generic images then they aren’t going to help you out beyond a point, where optimization benefits are concerned”.
2. Offer better User Experience with Original Images
Search engines give value only to those websites which visitors find helpful in one way or other.
The same case is when you use original pictures. Because using original pictures ensures a better experience to users.
And this is when the chances are higher to improve your rankings & get better SEO results.
Try to use a high-resolution camera for clicking the original pictures of your products that are meaningful and relevant.
Such pictures help users to stay interested and help you to provide users a clear idea about your business.
“You must notice that some websites use data, graphs, charts and similar visual assets so that they can provide their target users with the right content.”
Additionally, they use high-quality product images.
These kinds of website owners understand the value of making visitors feel a sense of connect and of providing them the “clear picture” of their brand.
Please Note: If your website is loaded with original pictures instead of just using stock images then it will have better chances to rank higher in search results.
3. Use Contextual Images
The matter of fact is that images serve you well in SEO but you’re not going to use images randomly thinking of SEO only.
It won’t work like that.
The images won’t serve the purpose, unless these are used in some context.
In fact, it’s better if you use images to tell a story or push those images forward a solid idea that your brand believes in.
Using images contextually can serve you well, use them as following:-
- You might use images for complementing your content
- You can also break the text by using the images at right places
- You should put images to help customers know about your product or concept easily
- Images are great source of simplifying any idea that you want to get across. So better use them in that manner
- You need to support the blogs, articles or any content anywhere with the suitable images
- The screenshots can also be used to create a good effect and to convey your story. So, use screenshots properly.
- Finally, images can also touch the right emotional chord, if used rightly
4. Use Descriptive Captions under Images
The best practice for image optimization is to add descriptive captions to your image.
In this process what you do is, you add the text that will be visible below the image which explains all about your image.
With this text under your images readers will understand the context easily & immediately rather than having to read the entire article.
If captions are not added to the SEO images then it will be difficult to understand the meaning and utility of having them there, not only for your visitors but also for the search engines
And if search engines don’t get the context then it will affect your SEO adversely.
Studies have also shown that “adding caption to images can boost the readership of the concerned text”.
But yes you should also remember that you need to add caption only where it’s needed to help readers and search engines.
5. Name Images Appropriately
All the images on your website must be named in such a way that it can help bring you the ranking benefits.
Therefore, always create descriptive and keyword-rich fine names.
“Google Crawlers come to know about the Images through their file names only.”
So, you should change the file name from the default to a relevant name immediately after you get the image in any format in order to make it SEO ready.
For example, if you sell cables on your website and you are having hundreds of images then it’s better to describe the images all uniquely.
So, the search engines like Google can understand them properly
Do you know what I mean, rather than giving them names like ‘cable 1’, ‘cable 2’, or ‘cable 3’, it would be better to name them as “Android Data & Charging Cable, black” or “Data Cable Type-C, white” and so on.
SEO Experts use a simple but keyword-driven image file name that serve you with better ranking on SERPs.
6. Use Alt Text (SEO Friendly):
Having alternative text to images can help in boosting the SEO of your website. Alt tags’ utility becomes greater when browsers fail to render images properly.
“Just like title, the alt text describes the contents of an image file”.
Having an appropriate alt-tag is a crucial part of your on-page SEO strategy. And you just can’t take further steps without having the alt text in place.
The alt text comes handy at times when images fail to load due to some technical issues.
“Alt text uses keywords to images which helps search engines to read them better and provide your website with superior rankings”.
With alt text, you are providing useful information to the search engine and it means that you also consider users’ query.
So, you should leverage the power of alt text and boost your website’s SEO easily.
7. Keep the File Size and Quality in Synchronization
Slow loading websites can’t serve your SEO requirements.
The rankings of slow websites always suffer, as well as they don’t add that value to the users in the way they should.
But, do you know, “what is the major reason behind slow loading of a site?”
Yes, the reason is images and their file size.
Images can hamper the speed of a website, particularly when the file size is too big.
You need to take into consideration the resizing and compression of the images to get images back to the right size.
Keep the following things in mind –
- The image size used should be as per the width of the web page
- You should reduce the file size, in case it exceeds the standard ratio of web page width
- Huge file size can affect rankings in SERPs. Therefore, you should resize images for providing better user experience
- You should also keep the image resolution in mind so it doesn’t affect page load speed
- If you are using some tools to compress the images, then use the quality tools only which help you not to lose quality
“Images which have lost pixels or become distorted can also adversely affect rankings negatively”.
8. Leverage Image Sitemaps
In order to get benefited from images, you need to create the image sitemap and keep all the images in one place.
With the help of sitemaps, you allow Google to find images on your website without any hassles.
Websites usually use “image-sitemap.xml” to let Google know about the uploaded images on the website
For images, you can either create a new sitemap or you can add image information to the already existing XML sitemap.
Moreover, many CMSs also have a plugin to serve this purpose. In those CMSs doing this task manually does not take much time.
However, whatever the process is, you should leverage an XML sitemap and let search engine identify & index your images more easily than ever.
This was a guide to “How to Optimize Images for SEO” and “boost visibility of your website”. Therefore it becomes important to hire a leading digital marketing company for fulfilling your website’s SEO needs, rather than choosing a random SEO Agency.
