How to Optimize Images for Higher Search Engine Rankings

By Zohaib Liaqat - 51 Comments

Just like all other blog optimizations, optimizing your blog images is also important. You may not realize, but images can generate massive traffic to your blog. Images can generate massive traffic to your blog through search engines. About 70% bloggers optimize their blogs, not their images, but believe me optimizing your blog images is really handy. Millions of people use search engines for searching images, so if your images are optimized correctly then its obvious that the images will drive traffic to your blog. Poor image SEO can lead to poor indexing and Google search engine rankings. Search engines uses crawlers or internet spiders, by optimizing your images correctly you give them ability to understand your image and if your image is not optimized then the crawlers may move on. Your site is full of images so, don't miss out easy SEO opportunities and optimize your images. Today in this article we'll show you that How to Optimize Images for Higher Search Engine Rankings.

How to Optimize Images for Higher Search Engine Rankings

Optimize your Alt Text/Tags

Simply an Alt Tag is an HTML attribute which is used to define an image. Alt tag plays an important role in your Images SEO. Search engines use robots for searching images but these robots can't read images. Therefore by adding an alt tag to an image we give them ability to understand the image. Alt tag will help robots to understand that image and in result you image will be visible in search engines results. So an alt tag is important for making an image searchable.

File/Image Name

File/Image name is the second important factor which depends on your image SEO. Including alt tag, search engines also crawl your image name. So, your image name should be descriptive and should contain all important keywords. If you want to see this in action, then do a sample search and click an image from the top. You will see that the image name have almost all the keywords you searched. For example, if your image/file name is blackcar.jpg, but it would be much better if your change its name with its all other details like black-lamborghini-aventador.jpg. This simple tip will help your website and images rank highly.

Reduce Image Size

Yes, the size of image matters. You know that the page load time matters for SEO. This is possible by using the correct file format. Don't use GIF file format, use PNG instead of it because PNG is about 25% smaller than the same GIF file, or can also use JPEG format. But remember, while optimizing an image you want the image dimensions as big as possible and its size as small as possible. By using programs like Skitch and Image Optimizer you can easily adjust the dimensions while keeping the file size small. So, always keep an eye on your image size while uploading it.

Wrap Content

Another way for optimizing an image is to wrap content around it. When you add an image, wrap content around it, at the top of the image or at the bottom. The more text related to image around it the better it is for you. Not only keywords are important but make sure that it makes sense.

From Editors Desk

Optimizing an image hardly takes 2-3 minutes but it's really handy. If you spend hours and hours writing a perfect post, then don't miss out the chance to optimize your image for higher seacrh engine rankings. Use these simple SEO techniques and you'll see a great improvement in your ranking. Share this article with your friends and don't forget to subscribe us!