The Importance of Image Optimization in Web Design

Image Optimization

Many SEO professionals think that the only purpose of images in web design is to make a site more attractive. Unfortunately, this idea is not entirely right. While it is true that people usually opt for images to enhance the overall appeal of the site, fact is that they can also help you to get more traffic.

Retailers can increase their traffic by implementing SEO techniques that focus on images and videos. Unfortunately, many professionals are unaware of the importance of image optimization and use poorly named pictures in their sites.

Here are few SEO tips that you can consider to enhance your site’s popularity and rankings in the major search engines.

File name is crucial

The file names should be informative, descriptive, and rich in keywords. However, do not stuff excessive keywords in the file name. Rather, use one or two keywords. Implementing this technique is crucial because it will help the search engines to determine relevancy. If your website contains information about blue Apple iPods, for example, do not opt for image name such as 00104.jpg. The reason is that the crawler will find it difficult to understand what the picture may contain. Rather, using an image name such as blue-apple-ipod.jpg is a good idea.

Avoid making the file name too long. Placing four or five words in the file name can be a great idea. According to suggestions by Google, do not put images in random folders throughout the site. Rather, incorporate all images in a single folder.

Remember that many content management systems provide uploaded images with ineffective names and incorporate them into folders with equally unwanted names. Therefore, you may consider the idea of modifying the software. This will help you to achieve desirable naming and folder structures.

Opt for descriptive alt text

Alt text or tags help search engine crawlers to understand what the image contains. Keep the alt text under 140 characters and avoid stuffing it with keywords. If you want to use the image as a link to another page, ensure that the alt text is relevant to the text of the page being linked to.

Pay attention to the surrounding content

Did you know that the surrounding content of images play a crucial role in determining its rank in the major search engines? Of course, you cannot put anything in the surrounding text and expect the site to achieve great rankings.

Surrounding content should contain valuable information and be relevant to the images. If the surrounding text of a page contains 200 or more words and includes useful information, there are high chances that the site will achieve better rankings. You may even consider incorporating a caption that describes the image.

Apart from implementing these SEO techniques, using the right image is crucial as well. Attractive images can enhance the style quotient of the site and encourage people to share the pages. Flickr and iStockPhoto are good sources of free and paid images. Implement these SEO techniques intelligently and soon, visitors will be flocking to your site.

This has been a guest blog by Webguru. Webguru has been a pioneer in the field of website design and graphic design services since 2005. If you are interested in posting a relevant guest blog, please contact us.