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SEO is all about giving your website the best chance to rank high in search engine results pages.
This means optimizing every aspect of your site, including your images.
In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to optimize images for better SEO. Follow these simple tips to make sure your images are working for you, not against you.
🌌What Is the Image Alt Text, and Why Is It Important for SEO?
Image alt text (also known as alternative text) is a short description of an image that acts as a replacement if an image can't be displayed.
“Alt Text” option in WordPress Media Library
Alt text also helps search engine crawlers understand what the content of an image is about and how it relates to your content.
📝How To Write Effective Alt Text for Your Images
Writing effective alt text is relatively simple.
The key is to make sure your alt text accurately describes the content of the image and if possible, includes relevant keywords that relate to the context it is being used in.
Image alt text should be:
- concrete
- descriptive
- informative.
Adding “Alt Text” to an image in Google Docs
Additionally, make sure you are not stuffing keywords into your alt text; this is considered keyword stuffing and could potentially get your page penalized by search engines.
⬇️Examples of Good and Bad Alt Text
👍 Good: "Global browser market 2022 pie chart"
👎 Bad: "Browsers chart"
👍 Good: “Person typing on a laptop keyboard”
👎 Bad: “laptop”
👍 Good: “Yellow tulips growing in a garden”
👎 Bad: “no text”
🔎The Importance of File Names for SEO
The name of the file you upload to your website can also be important for SEO. When you upload an image, make sure to include relevant keywords in the file name.
Adding a name to the image
This is believed to help search engine crawlers further understand the context of your images, increasing the chances they are found in relevant searches.
For example, instead of naming your file “image123.jpg” you could name it “global-browser-market-2022-pie-chart.jpg” to give the search engine crawlers more information about what is being displayed in the image.
☝️File Size and Compression
Finally, in addition to optimizing your file names and alt text, you should also consider the size of your files.
Large image files will take longer to load, negatively affecting the user experience of your website. According to GoodFirm's research, over 88% of visitors leave websites due to slow loading.
Top Reasons for a Visitor To Leave a Website
This can also impact your SEO rankings, as search engine crawlers want to make sure websites are quick and easy to navigate.
To prevent this from happening, be sure to use file compression tools to reduce the size of your image files without sacrificing quality.
We’d recommend Compress JPEG, which will allow you to reduce the size of PNG, JPEG, GIF, and PDF files in seconds without compromising their quality. It's free too!
Compressing the image with Compress PNG tool
❓FAQ
Can alt text and file name be the same (identical)?
Yes, you can use the same text as your image alt text and file name if it makes sense.
How often should I add image alt text to my website?
You should add image alt text any time you upload an image to your website. This is important in order for search engine crawlers to understand what the content of the image is and how it relates to the page.
How long should my alt text be?
Try to keep it as short as possible. There is no reason to make it long and complex; a few words should be enough to describe the content of the image in most cases.
Will image alt text help my website rank higher?
Not directly, but it can help search engine crawlers better understand the context of your images and make it more likely for your website to appear in relevant searches.
It is best to think of it as one piece in a larger SEO puzzle.
Does image alt text have any other benefits?
Yes. Image alt text can also make your website more accessible to people with disabilities who rely on screen readers to navigate websites.
Additionally, if an image fails to load, the alt text will be displayed in its place, providing the user with more information about what would have been displayed. This can help improve the overall user experience of your website.