How to Optimize Images for SEO
Like text, images also need to be optimized for SEO. This is especially important if you have a business that relies on images. Optimizing them will make it easy to search for. This means that photos on your website, portfolio or online store can be found through an image search, giving people more opportunities to discover your business.
Rename Your Images
In text we use keywords to make our webpages rank higher on search engines. The same concept can be applied to images as well. To ensure your images are easy to find, make sure to rename your photos. Don’t just leave it as the default file name. Your photo’s name should be descriptive. Depending on the photo, it’s always a good idea to name objects in the picture and include color or any other unique characteristics.
Pick the Right File Type
When it comes to saving your images, there are many different file types to choose from. To pick the best file type all it really comes to down to is the image’s purpose.
JPEG
For most images JPEGs are going to be the best option. Saving in this file will give you a high quality photo at the smallest file size. This is good because photos with large file sizes tend to take a long time to load, slowing down your entire site.
PNG
PNG is the next best option. This file type is better for more decorative images because they can be saved with a transparent background. In terms of logo design, it’s best to save your image as a PNG.
GIF
This file type is the least practical for website images due to their large file size, but can sometimes come in handy depending on your objective. They are especially good for images with animations.
Use Google Site Maps
Listing your image location on a site map makes it easier for Google to find your images. This will also make your website rank higher on search engines. Google Webmaster Tools is a great place to start if you’re not sure how to format your site map. It also provides suggestions for better optimization. Just like the image’s name, the most important thing to remember is to add descriptive tags.
Check Images
The whole purpose of optimizing your images are to drive traffic to your site, so it’s important that you make sure your images are formatted properly and loading at a decent speed. Another thing to keep in mind are the images themselves. Are they attractive? It’s one thing to have highly ranked images on a search engine, but browsers have to be interested enough to actually click on the images. Make sure your image was taken on a good camera, has an interesting composition and was saved in a high quality format. If you’re unsure about how attractive an image is, test it on a group of people to see if they find it interesting.
Optimizing your images are just another way to get your brand out to a wide audience. It’s all about being descriptive with photo names and taking the time to save each photo in the correct format.
Learn more about SEO or image optimization when you contact us.
-Stay Creative, The Juicers
