A lot of emphasis is put in creating search engine optimised content for websites in order to influence ranking on the first SERP. SEO for images is a factor that is overlooked by many. Nonetheless, it is a critical factor that can influence the ranking of a website. Adding an image to your web content already communicates effort. Imaged-embossed content is clearer to understand as the image adds to the communication. Images are visual components of the content and influence the clarity and understandability of the content by both the search engine crawlers and the site visitors.
In addition, web images can also rank in Google image search which is a separate search method that has images displayed rather than textual content. Thus, it is important to understand what SEO for images is and how it can best be done to achieve results.
Steps to creating SEO for images
- Include high-quality images
Poor images with imbalances in pixels colouration will be a put off to many people. Look out for quality images which are clear and with good colour balance. Alternatively, you can create custom images for your specific needs which remain more relevant to the content. Add at least a single image in each page to increase relevance.
- Consider the best file type for the image.
The clarity and ease of loading images have some dependency on the file type of the image. Choose file types that are easy to load and which won’t result in load errors. Some of the most preferred file types include JPG for photos, PNG for custom made images, SVG for custom graphics and GIFs for moving images.
- Choose appropriate image sizes.
Consider the size of your images before using them on your website as big sizes may create loading issues and even fail to load. Bad user experience leads to higher bounce rates, which influences the return in investment rates.
- Invest in the image alt tags
Search engine crawlers do not read images and can only depend on the alternative tags or the image descriptions to understand what the images are all about. Some people also have image loading turned off in their computers, and they can only understand what the image is about through the use of the description tags. Invest in these tags and use SEO words and titles to influence ranking.
Anchor Digital is an expert in website development and content creation. Anchor Digital understands what SERPs and SEO are and delivers these through quality websites. You can contact Anchor Digital for more information.