Did you know that you can improve your site’s search engine optimization (SEO) if you optimize your images in a post? It’s easy to do and adds a lot of SEO value to your blog posts and site pages.
If you’re already using WordPress, you’ve seen the options when you add an image to a post, but maybe you haven’t known what to do with these extra boxes. And, if you have Yoast SEO installed, you’ve probably seen the recommendations of adding SEO to your images. But how do you do this?
5 Steps to Optimize Your Images
Here are five easy steps to help you optimize your images for SEO and rank higher in Google:
Always Add a Photo
First and foremost, you need to make sure you’re adding a relevant image to every single post and page on your site. You can use a photo you’ve taken or one you’ve downloaded from a stock photo site, but you absolutely need an image. If it’s a photo you’ve taken, use Canva or Picmonkey to make your image sharp and clear.
Use Keywords in Your File Name
Image SEO starts with the file name you use when you save it. Include your keywords in your file name because when you upload it to your post the file name will be saved with it. This will help Google connect to the post easier.
Size Your Image
Images that are too large can take a long time to load, which can have an impact on your SEO. Be sure your images are properly sized and load easily by previewing your post or page before it goes live.
Use Captions
You’ve most likely seen this option when you upload your photo and, like many people, you’ve probably ignored it. You might want to rethink this. Including a caption can improve your SEO for the post. It doesn’t have to be a long description, just a couple of words are fine. But be sure to use keywords associated with the post or page. If you don’t want to have captions it isn’t the end of the world…they can sometimes be distracting and if you choose not to use them then just make sure you are following the other 4 tips.
Use Alt Text
If the image is unreadable by someone’s browser for any reason, the Alt Text is what will show in place of the image. Google, as well as other search engines, are looking for this so don’t leave it out. In addition to improving your SEO, Alt Text will be read out loud by screen readers for people who are visually impaired.
Optimizing your image SEO will help your pages and posts rank higher in Google and all other search engines. Adding this text only takes a few seconds, but it can have a significant impact on your ranking so don’t leave it out. Now go an optimize those images!
Other Posts of Interest
Other posts you might find interesting regarding search engines.
Submit Your Website To Online Directories
How to Submit Your Site to Bing
Optimize Your Site for Search Engines Other Than Google
