Optimizing Image Attributes for Better SEO Results

Images are an integral part of any website and can be optimized beyond what is seen by website visitors. Images serve a bigger use when it comes to best practices for SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

Optimize File Size

Search engines don’t look at the actual picture or image you have on your website. Robots are interested in what information they can extract from the file. One of them is the file size and it is used in the algorithm for search results ranking. The file size matters because it directly impacts page load time and as a result the end user experience. There is no definitive answer on how much weight search engines place on file size, but it’s important to optimize files before publishing them on your website.

Optimal Size

How small an image file should be is a question that doesn’t have a universal answer. This will depend on what you are using the file for: if it’s a signature image for your homepage, then you will want the image to show up on every screen in a good quality.

Conversely, if it’s for a blog post, you can use a width of 300px to 800px. This will again depend on how you intend to use the image — inline, floated to the right or left etc. When you optimize images for your website you need to find a balance between what looks good at the smallest possible file size.

Setting Alt Text

Another image attribute that is grasped by search engines is the alt text (or alternative text). This is found in the source code of the file.

You don’t have to know advanced technical skills to edit the source code, because modern editors have a simple text field to set the alt text.

First, image alt text helps Google index and categorize the image. Besides that, if your alt text contains relevant keywords, it’s a good optimization technique for your website SEO.

Secondly, alt text provides an advanced feature of usability. For visually impaired users with a screen reader, the alt text attribute will be read back to them as they navigate to the image. When it encounters an image, it reads back to you: “Picture of Cake with sprinkles.”

This way you add context for users and create a pleasant experience on your website.

Finally, the alt text will get displayed whenever users have images disabled on their devices or images are not loading properly. The alt text will be there to give a hint to the user what should be there.

Images are an important part of any visual content on a website and is an opportunity to improve the page’s SEO.