How to Optimize Images for SEO

Images play an important role in making your content more attractive and engaging to users, but they also matter to SEO. To ensure that your images are working for you and not against you, it’s important that they are properly optimized. In this post, I will teach you how to optimize images for SEO.

What is Image Optimization?

Let’s do a quick recap on what image optimization is.

Optimizing images is the process of creating high-quality visuals that are in the proper format, size and resolution. It also refers to labeling images so that the search engines can understand what the photos are about. The purpose of image optimization is to reduce page load times without compromising image quality.

Simple Steps for Optimizing Images for SEO

Now that you know why image optimization is important, let’s discuss the steps to follow when optimizing your images for SEO.

Resize images

Image size refers to the dimensions of an image. Images that have large dimensions and a high resolution generally take longer to load. You’ll need to scale these photos down so they work well on your site.

To do this, pick the right format for your image: JPG, GIF, PNG or SVG. Images that have a lot of color do best with JPG, while simple photos do best with PNG.

Compress images

Compression is all about balance. Too much compression affects image quality, while too little compression leaves the file large. Photo editing tools like Photoshop will automatically minimize the file size while optimizing for image quality. Once you’ve resized and compressed the images, don’t forget to test your site speed with a tool like Google PageSpeed Insights.

Optimize file names

Before uploading your photo, name the file with relevant keywords. Include target keywords and separate them with hyphens so the search engines can read each word individually. Choose a title that makes sense to humans and the search bots.

Include alt tags

Remember, the search engines can’t “see” your photos, so you need descriptive copy to tell them what your content is about. And, if the image can’t be loaded, the alt text will show in its place. A good alt tag consists of 10-15 words and is more descriptive than your file name.

Use captions

Captions, the words directly beneath a photo, won’t have a direct effect on SEO, but they are visible on web pages. File names and alt text are not visible, so they don’t have any effect on the user experience. By including captions, you can tell users a bit more about the photo and why it’s important.

Getting your content noticed is always a challenge because of the competition on the web. If you’re struggling to get your content into the right hands, applying these strategies will make your content more likeable to humans and the search engines.

For help with optimizing images and your content in general, contact WSI Star Web Solutions today.