Images not only make any kind of web content more visually appealing and engaging, but also they also help increase conversion rates. Though it’s common knowledge that written content should be optimized for SEO, it may come as a surprise that images should be treated the same. With that in mind, here are the best ways to optimize images for SEO.
Keep the Name Simple
Make sure you give every image a unique name, but keep it short, sweet and relevant. The name should be easy to read and adequately describe the image.
Alt Tags Are Everything
First, for those of you who might not know, an alt tag is a text alternative used for images that are not properly rendered by a browser. They also boost your website’s SEO value when you associate the image with relevant target keywords. When creating alt tags, it is important to remember the following:
- Keep the language simple and plain, just like you would for the image name.
- Avoid keyword stuffing.
- If there is a model or serial number associated with the product in the image, then include this number in the alt tag.
Caption Your Images
Don’t forget to write a clear, concise caption for each of your images. You should use keywords in the caption, while keeping it succinct. A caption makes it easier and more enjoyable for visitors to your site to scan the page.
Keep Images Small
The bigger your images, the slower your website will load, and visitors won’t wait more than three to five seconds for it to finish loading before leaving. As a result, the amount of time it takes for your website to load can severely affect your bottom line. Amazon discovered that for every second their web pages take longer to load, they lose a whopping $1.6 million. The speed at which your website loads also affects your SEO ranking.
Ideally, you will reduce the size of any product images to a maximum of 75 KB and blog images to a maximum of 100 KB. You can use good image editing software to adjust the size of your images, while ensuring the quality remains top-notch.
Dimensions Matter
Size isn’t the only thing you need to consider when it comes to images on your website: You also need to consider the dimensions. Depending on where you post your images, there might be a limit on the width of the area in which they will go. If you are posting to a blog that has a maximum width of 800 pixels and your image is 10,000 pixels wide, you will need to scale it down.
That’s all there is to it! Images can add depth to the content of your website, but you need to execute their implementation correctly to receive the greatest benefits. Having images that are properly optimized will be highly effective in keeping visitors on your site and increasing conversions.
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