Your website may only have a few images or loads of them, however optimization is important for web pages; heading, URLS and tags or categories. People use Google Image Search and similar other search engines to find beautiful images and graphics. Same search engine rule applies here as for text irrespective of Penguin or Panda. Better images with better optimization appear first. Here are image optimization tips for your website and blog:
Optimize Alt Text
An image speaks to everyone irrespective of demographics. It doesn’t matter which language a person understands. An image says the same thing to all eyes. For example, when you see an image of a parrot holding a letter in beak, you know this is messenger. Even if that image relates to a website text written in Hebrew.
Search engine robots don’t understand images like humans. Tell the robot with the help of Alt Tag. Simply add <img src=”parrot-messenger.jpg” alt=”Parrot-Messenger” />
Optimize Image File Size
Big File Size directly corresponds to a slow loading website, a sure SEO disadvantage. Keep the image file size as small as possible, help host servers in fetching your website data faster. Use image editing software for resizing images when required. Do not allow your browser to resize those.
Optimize File Name
Don’t name images files randomly or give them absurd names. Name an image in a way that relates to what is the most important keyword for the page related to a particular image. Name all your images selectively to rank better on search engines.
Optimize images for human eyes
This is in direct relation with bounce rate. On search result pages image looks smaller. When someone clicks on it, full image size loads. If a visitor opens your images, quickly closes it and again goes back to the search engine, this directly implies your image was not relevant. Search Engine counts it as bounce back rate. Also, when an image sends a clear message, people go and check your website content too. A good quality image may bring you a customer too.
Choose the Right File Format
Image files come in many variants GIF, PNG, JPEG. Chose one that best fits your website. For example, when you need some animation, GIF is right file format.
Put all image in a single directory
Instead of distributing images throughout different folders, keep them all in one place and add to pages wherever required. The image directory will be added to the site map and search engines will know, ‘images are found here’ a sure SEO boost for image search.
Today search engines are smarter than before. Optimize website images for humans and tags for robots to win better SEO rank.