Search engine optimization includes many different elements and an important but often overlooked element of SEO is images. SEO Image You can do a lot for your website. If you have a business blog (you should because Blogging is a rocket launcher for business SEO!), Image SEO is another way to get more SEO power and marketing value from every blog post you publish.
Why optimize your blog images
When search engine robots crawl pages with images, they can’t tell what the image is. Your image needs to relate very well to your subject for the image to create a connection with the reader. But search engines can’t read photos, so they only see that there is a file that they can’t read. When you give your image a name, the search engine robot can read the name.
Search engines look at dozens of items on every page to help them categorize what that page is about. Use keywords that you are trying to rank for on that page in your image tags and search engines might see your blog post as more relevant to your topic than without those image tags. So if you scored an 8/10 relevance score without image tags, you could get a 10/10 score with image SEO tags.
How to optimize your blog images for SEO
Uploading an image to WordPress presents a few options. Let’s look at those options and how you can capitalize on SEO opportunities within them:
- Qualification: Use a keyword in the name of your image file. Instead of being a12.jpg, change the name to keyword-rich-name.jpg.
- Alternative text: If the image does not load, the name of the alternative text will appear on the screen in the box where the photo would be. Choose SEO keywords here too.
- Subtitle: Want a caption below the photo as an additional call to action for readers? Hit your keyword here too.
- Description: This is another place to give a description of what the image is. Use a description that includes a keyword phrase.
Not only will search engines see your site as more relevant to the keywords you’re trying to rank if you optimize your images, but people searching image directories might find your website too. Including at least one search engine optimized image in each blog post could substantially improve your site’s ability to rank well in search engines and could increase the conversion rate of every page on your site.
Tip: Caution for the use of images
Yes, the use of images is important. It helps you connect with your readers and does wonders for your SEO. But not all the photos you see online can be downloaded and used on your business blog. Images are copyrighted property. You can buy images to use, subscribe to stock photo site subscriptions, or you can also use free stock images. Be careful with the copyright of the image.
