What is Image Optimization for SEO - Nummero

Image optimization is one of the most underappreciated aspects of any SEO plan. 

However, when done correctly, it may be a very effective approach for attracting people to your website.

Learn what you’re missing out on by ignoring image optimization tactics, as well as how to produce SEO-friendly graphics for your posts and pages, in this post.

What is Image Optimization, and how does it work?

 

Image optimization is the process of adjusting the size, format, and resolution of visuals to fulfill specified requirements. 

Image (SEO) optimization is giving search engine crawlers more information so they can recognize your context and rank it higher for greater visibility.

You might be wondering how much traffic picture search brings in. 

According to Google, this is an undisclosed figure.

However, we can assure you that image optimization will increase your chances of attracting people to your site significantly.

According to a study conducted by Business Wire, 62 percent of customers prefer image search to any other media. 

At the same time, when purchasing online, more than 85% of customers prefer to look at pictures rather than read words.

With Google’s algorithm growing smarter by the day, picture SEO has a huge potential for increasing website engagement.

Image optimization, unlike text SEO, does not need numerous hours of setup. 

It doesn’t even necessitate the use of an SEO specialist.

Simply by following a few simple procedures, you may deliver a better user experience for your visitors while also assisting Google in precisely defining your visual content.

So, how do you make your photographs search-friendly?

 

The entire checklist may be found here.

1. Think about where you want to put the image.

 

To break up the content, many website designers make the mistake of slapping a photo or two at odd places. 

However, doing so may cause readers to get confused and distracted about your context.

To offer a reference to your issue, try positioning photographs near the most accompanying text on your webpage.

Every web page should, in theory, have a hero or featured picture at the top, as this is the area that visitors will see first when they visit your site. 

They will act as a ‘clickbait’ for readers, encouraging them to stay on the page and read more.

Another thing to keep in mind is that today’s readers are little more than scanners. 

Instead of reading every word, the majority of viewers scan over the text. 

If they are confronted with a wall of text, they are likely to become bored and exit the web page.

It’s critical to have a variety of graphics to keep visitors interested and reduce bounce rates. 

As a general rule, including one image at each scroll level is a good idea.

2. Make Sure Your Material Is Relevant and Unique 

 

Always include relevant and valuable photographs in your content to make it more attractive and user-friendly. 

The finest images are ones that correctly portray your topic while also including content.

So, while choosing photos, make sure they’re relevant to the theme. 

For a post headlined “Why Cats Are So Adorable,” you wouldn’t want to feature a photo of a lovely dog. 

This will result in a poor user experience. 

It will also lead readers to believe they have clicked on the wrong link or, worse, have been spammed.

Another thing to keep in mind is to utilize original photos. 

‘Using the same photographs as other sites won’t help your page’s visibility,’ says Google’s John Mueller.

Use only photos that are unique to your web page as part of your SEO strategy. 

Even if you buy stock photos, avoid the ones that show on the first few pages of results. 

Instead, conduct a comprehensive search for photographs that do not like those of your competition. 

You may also use the TinEye tool to customize images that are already on the internet.

3. Choose the Correct File Format

 

To guarantee that your images load smoothly, select the appropriate file type. 

However, you must first comprehend some of the most popular possibilities before deciding on the ideal format for your website.

JPG: 

 

JPG files, one of the most used, are better prepared to handle hundreds of colors. 

They’re often utilized for huge images that can be scaled down without losing quality.

PNG: 

 

The PNG format offers a wide range of color options. 

They can also use semi-opaque backgrounds with transparent backgrounds. 

Flat photographs, graphics, icons, and logos work well with them.

GIF: 

 

Originally intended for graphics, the GIF format is now mostly used for animated pictures on the internet.

Every popular picture format has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. 

However, for optimal optimization, it’s best to strike a balance between image quality and file size.

4. Prioritize mobile-friendliness.

 

Mobile traffic accounts for almost half of all online traffic. 

In this instance, it’s understandable that you want your web pages (and pictures) to be mobile-friendly and provide a consistent experience for all users.

In most cases, a mix of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript is used to make the images responsive to any device.

The good news is that thanks to the Content Management System, most new sites are already mobile-friendly. 

If you’re using an older site or are unclear about the page’s capabilities, Google provides a simple test. 

With the aid of this test, you can determine whether your website is mobile-friendly.

5. Select the Correct Resolution

 

While many site designers overlook this aspect, it is critical to show off your images in the best possible light.

If you have a little image, manually enlarging it to fit your web page layout will make it hazy and disorienting. 

You can employ image upscalers to save pixel information and show a high-quality, clear resource on your website to prevent this issue.

At the same time, it’s critical to remember to avoid doing the exact opposite: using larger photos than necessary. 

A resolution of 24001080, for example, can be found in an original image. 

However, after you’ve inserted it, you’ll notice that the current resolution is far too high. 

As a result, you should not only scale it down in the editor but also on the file itself. 

Just because something appears to be smaller doesn’t imply it is.

In that vein, here’s how to reduce the file size even further.

6. Make the file smaller

 

The photographs you use on your website take up more space than the majority of other items on the page. 

This will gradually slow down the page’s loading time and degrade its performance.

Recent research found that a one-second delay in page load might result in a 7% decline in conversions. 

If a page takes longer than three seconds to load, around 40% of users will quit it.

To avoid your website suffering the same fate, make sure your photographs are the smallest size possible.

Squoosh, TinyPNG, and ImageOptim are several online applications that can help you reduce the weight of your images so they load faster. 

You may also use Adobe Photoshop’s’save for web’ feature to automatically reduce file size without sacrificing quality. 

These tools are fantastic since they allow you to dramatically reduce file size without sacrificing image quality.

The images will be transmitted to multiple servers throughout the geographical network using this protocol. 

They will then be transmitted to the reader from the nearest server for fast loading.

You may also use lazy loading to delay the display of pictures until they are required. 

Lazy loading, in basic words, means that photographs will only be loaded when the visitor scrolls to their desired location.

7. Use Exact File Names

 

Using descriptive file names for your photographs will aid Google and people in comprehending your site.

Most web developers, on the other hand, disregard this functionality and continue to load pictures with default file names such as ‘Image 740.jpg.’

Search crawlers, on the other hand, evaluate file names and find them useful for ranking.

The easiest strategy to ensure that Google understands your web page is to label photos appropriately. 

When naming your image files, keep it simple yet descriptive. 

It’s also a good idea to carefully incorporate relevant keywords for greater exposure.

8. Make use of alternative tags

 

If your images fail to load for any reason, the Alt Tags are shown in their stead. 

Additionally, the Alt Tags assist visually challenged visitors who use screen readers to comprehend your photographs.

Make your Alt Tags unique, much like your file names, so that search engine crawlers and visitors can understand them.

If you’re utilizing a photo of a cat sitting in a basket, for example, don’t use a generic Alt Tag like ‘cat.’ 

‘Ginger cat sitting in a basket,’ for example, is a more descriptive tag.

Conclusion

 

Image optimization is an important SEO method to use if you want to improve your search engine rating. 

For the readers, the visual branding you establish for your page will showcase the excellence of your webpage. 

So, utilizing the suggestions above, make them as optimized as feasible.

Contact nummero, the best digital marketing company in Bangalore, for the best internet marketing services.