How To Optimize Images for SEO in 2024 – Image SEO

Before reading this guide, you may think image SEO is as simple as adding some alt tags to images and calling it a day. That’s not the case.

With that in mind, this guide will provide insight into how you can optimize your images for SEO.

By ignoring image optimization, you’re wasting a valuable SEO opportunity. You don’t just lose out on traffic, but you also miss out on valuable insights your competitors are getting.

Search engines have become more advanced over the years. They now use more advanced algorithms to determine rankings, so there are new things to watch out for and new techniques to use.

That’s why today, we’re going to look into how you can optimize your images for SEO.

What is Image SEO?

Image SEO is the process of optimizing your images so that they will rank better in Google image search results. Image Optimization can provide several advantages, including a better user experience, faster page loading times, and potential ranking boosts. It is becoming increasingly important for ranking high on SERPs.

We have researched and tested the most effective techniques for optimizing your images for SEO.

How To Optimize Images for SEO?

Here are the important image optimization tips you need to know.

1. Name your images

Every image should have a descriptive name. This makes it easier for users to find your images. Think about how users will search for your images before you name them.

Here’s what Google says on Image filename optimization:
“The filename can give Google clues about the subject matter of the image. For example, my-new-black-kitten.jpg is better than IMG00023.JPG. If you localize your images, make sure you translate the filenames, too.”

A filename in an image lets Google and other search engines know what the image is about. Changing the image file name will help the search engines better understand your image and improve your SEO value.

The process may take some time depending on how large your media library is, but changing the default image name is always a good idea.

Example,
Good– Best-digital-agency-in-new-york.jpg
Bad– IMG-8718190.jpg

2. Use SEO-Friendly Alt Text

The search engine crawlers (bots) will see this part of the webpage that most visitors won’t see. Adding alt text to each image on your website will appear in place of the image if a visitor uses a screen reader or if a browser has difficulty loading it.

The alt text on your website is useful for SEO, as well as for improving accessibility. Making those few minutes to improve your SEO can also improve the visitor’s experience on your website.

3. Compress Images

Image compression is being questioned a lot. When you compress images, you reduce their file size. This is essential for SEO-friendly images. The smaller the file, the faster it loads. When it takes less time for people to load your page, they are more likely to stay longer on your site (which helps you rank high on Google).

The question is: What should you use if you want to compress images? Should you use your image editing software or a separate plugin? What’s the best way to compress images without losing quality?

There are many tools available for compressing images. Most of them offer lossless compression – meaning no losses in quality.

Here are a few tools you can use to compress your images:
– WP Smush
– TinyPNG
– Compress JPEG & PNG Images
– ShortPixel
– EWWW Image Optimizer

You can even go a step further by using a CDN that detects the device and optimizes the image before delivering it. Here are some of the best CDNs:
– KeyCDN
– BunnyCDN
– Stackpath
– CloudFlare

4. Use best file type

The most common file types on the web are JPEG and PNG.

PNG: This results in higher quality images with increased size.
JPEG: Image quality will be reduced, but you can adjust the level of quality to find the right balance.
WebP: With this format, you can choose between lossless and lossy compression, the only format supported by both Chrome and Firefox.

I consider PNG to be one of the unsung heroes of image formatting. PNG images are the way to go for my daily use, then I convert them to WebP.

5. Use copyright free images

You will rank higher on relevant searches if you have more original images. The more quality images you have, the better.

• Google is more likely to show higher results if you use unique & copyright free images.
• People are likely to trust your website if it has unique images.

Using images from Getty, Shutterstock, DepositFiles, or other stock photo providers without a license is risking an expensive lawsuit.

If you violate any copyright issues, you may receive a notice under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). A content owner can request a DMCA takedown if they see their content on your website.

6. Add images to sitemap

Google strongly encourages website owners to submit sitemaps to them so they can crawl your pages and add them to their index. They also allow you to include images in your sitemap, or to submit a separate image sitemap.

The more information you provide about the images on your website, the more likely they are to show up in Google Image Search, which increases your website’s visibility.

7. Optimize Page Title & Description

Google image search algorithm also uses your page title and description. Meta data, header tags, structured data, etc. all contribute to Google’s image ranking.

You should always optimize the page title and description with the proper keywords to increase your page’s ranking.

8. Add Structured Data

Use structured data markup to guide Google and search engines to deliver better visual results for your content types. Google may serve your images as rich results if you include structured data.

For example, using schema markup on a product page could pair a product image with a price tag. In order to provide the right image, search engines skip the algorithm, and use structured data instead.

Optimize Images for SEO

If you optimize your content for the Internet, you should also consider optimizing your images. Even though it takes a bit of time, it will pay off in the long run, since your online presence will increase and your reputation will improve.

From a SEO perspective, Image SEO is relatively easy. It’s a smart idea to spend a little extra time each time you add a page to your website. This will enable you to find the right images and optimize them for search so that the pages become more visible in search engines.

I hope you found this article helpful for optimizing your images and ranking high in search engines.