Whenever site speed is mentioned one of the first things that comes to mind is optimize images. What does it really mean to optimize an image and how does it affect the users experience (UX)?
Image SEO
Images are put into a web page for the user to see not the search engine. When creating images think about your visitors. If you are creating images of products for example you should consider the angle, the quantity, and the size. If you put large images on your page and lots of your traffic is coming from mobile devices the larger images will take too long to load and your visitors will lose interest.
Helpful Tips
- Reduce white space Do not use images with a lot of white space around them. Instead crop images to fill as much of the space as possible.
- Choosing the Proper Format – There are a variety of image formats available such as, jpg, png, or gif. Here are some simple rules to follow:
- If the image does not move or does not have transparencies than save it as a jpg.
- If your image is a logo or does not have movement and does contain transparencies than save it as a png.
- If your image moves than save it as a gif.
- Minimize the file size – The size of the file is important. Larger files will take more time to load (important for SEO). There are plenty of programs available that can shrink the size. Just make sure and make it as small as possible without affecting the resolution.
- Save your images with a good file name – Names like RT-dd7789.jpg are not good. Ideally you want a file name is descriptive so the search engine will know what it is (keyword?).
- Add the alternate text – this is another opportunity to use a keyword that you want to rank for. The alternate text also helps those who are visually impaired and using a screen reader.
- Create an image site map – This will help the search engine more easily locate your images.
- Link it to another page or post – This can help visitors find other relevant content on your site and keep them there longer.
Something to Think About
Images can make the users experience more enjoyable. Who wants to see a page this just a bunch of text? They can also help a user to understand your content better. Restaurants use imagery to convey how wonderful their food is. Images can inflect an emotion in the viewer that makes them want to buy your product. Poorly used images can have the opposite effect and make a visitor not want to buy. Using relevant images effectively can increase sales, leads, or sign ups. When using images do not forget about the differences between a desktop PC and a mobile device. If large images are used in pages designed for mobile devices they may take too long to load and the user will switch to another site that does not take so long to load up. As a Portland SEO consultant we have had tremendous success with using images to add value to a page and keep visitors engaged with meaningful content. We are a Portland SEO agency that believes in the power of images done right.