Have you noticed that images appear at the top of some search queries in Google? Sometimes you will even get images showing up at the top before the text results. That’s because these images were properly formatted for search.
Image SEO is really important for people that use Google images to search for terms.
How do you optimize blog images for SEO?
Blog Image SEO Tips
Images are perhaps one of the most underestimated aspects of on-page Search Engine Optimization (SEO). But neglecting this website element can considerably affect your search engine rankings. Here are the best practices for image SEO.
Rename Your Image File Before Uploading It
The file name is where image SEO begins. Include a keyword in the image file name if your goal is for Google to quickly recognize what the picture is about.
“DSC_2150.jpg” or something similar is a common file name that is the default for photos. But when you don’t change this, it will be hard for search engines to identify.
Label your images appropriately. For example, if your blog is about wedding dresses, image file names should be something like white-wedding-dress.jpg, long-wedding-dress.jpg, or modern-wedding-dress.jpg.
Resize the Image to a Maximum Width of 800px Before Uploading
Image dimensions are determined by where they will appear on your website. But, the ideal maximum width for today’s SEO is 800 pixels. Photos that are kept within this limit will load smoothly on various devices.
The quicker a site loads, the easier it will be for search engines and people to access a page. Thus, an optimized image size boosts not only SEO but also user experience.
WordPress can help you resize uploaded images by providing several size options. Keep in mind that this only changes the display size and not the file size.
Add a Detailed Alt Text Description to Your Image in WordPress
An image’s alt text (alternative text) is a description of it. It’s what the browser shows to the screen readers. If there is an issue displaying pictures, browsers will show the alt text.
This is why it’s crucial to insert alt text to every image on your blog. If applicable, be certain that the alt text contains the SEO key for that specific webpage.
It’s a good idea to be mindful of alt tags as part of your on-page SEO approach. By connecting keywords with pictures, adding relevant alt tags to your website’s imagery can help you obtain better rankings.
Make Sure the Image Appears Contextually Within the Post
Blog images should only be added in places that make sense. However, the umbrella term “blog images” refers to a variety of visuals such as stock photos, graphs, and screenshots.
A few variables influence the kinds of images you must include in your blog. Graphs might help complement your piece better than stock photos if you’re creating a data-heavy essay.
Stock images can be used to illustrate material for product-focused articles. If you are writing a tutorial, it’s best to present screenshots of the whole process.
Add a Caption to Your Image
Captions are, on average, viewed more than the content itself. So not applying them, or applying them incorrectly, means losing a significant opportunity to engage your audience.
Unlike alt texts and file names, captions can be seen by readers. The majority of people look at image captions to obtain a sense of the overall content. As a result, they can enhance the user experience.
Still, it’s vital to note that you don’t have to caption every image. Some visuals can speak for themselves. Only provide captions if the viewer would benefit from them.
That’s how you optimize blog images for SEO!