The Role of Image Optimization in SEO Effective Strategy

Image optimization in SEO is really important as to give a better experience to users, Google releases various updates and it’s necessary for the SEO experts to change their strategies according to the recent updates to ensure the higher ranking. Most visited websites including Moz, emphasizes the need for On-Page SEO techniques and consider image optimization a fundamental necessity of digital marketing. The need of image optimization increases when you’re running an online store and want to improve the visibility of your products on the search engine. Similarly, if you are aiming to redirect traffic on your blog or online magazine then overlooking image optimization can show devastating results.

Perks of Image Optimization

Online shopping has totally revolutionized the domain of shopping and has also contributed in adding more numbers to the cell phone users by garnering the appreciation and attention of shopaholics towards smartphones. As a result, researchers have observed a rising trend in Digital Marketing. Companies consider it an easy and effective mode of marketing as the number of internet users is increasing day by day. Image optimization gives you the following advantages.

• Less download time of the website and better user experience
• More traffic means higher ranking on search engines
• Opportunity to convey your ideas in an effective way
• Higher chances of getting backlinks and more sharing on social media
• Increased brand reach

Best Tactics of Image Optimization

The concept of the mobile friendly website is incomplete without image optimization. In digital marketing, loading time plays a significant role and every second of delay means you are losing 7% of your clients, and diverting them towards your competitors’ sites. Search, Social media, and speed are the three main factors for which Google accounts for image optimization. This article will be bringing into the limelight, some efficient and noteworthy image optimization tips for the readers which effective and efficient enough to fulfill the requirements of the year 2016.

1. Right Image and Right Type for Right Results

Google updates encourage the use of your own images as it remarkably reduces the risks of plagiarism and increases the authenticity of your website or blog. Quality and relevance are the two essential traits of a right image. Your image should be clear, vibrant, non-pixilated. It’s a matter of common sense that you use the most relevant image for your blog which conveys the main theme and helps the reader to understand your idea instantly. A good image always grabs the attention of the user which in turn triggers traffic for your blog. That’s why one should be careful while selecting a featured image for the article. Flickr.com, freeimages.com, Pinterest, and Picjumbo are some useful websites for getting the right image.

2. Optimal File Format

The selection of file format affects your overall website speed and quality. Currently, three image formats are widely being used and all have their own pros and cons.  

• JPEG

The option of small size makes it useful for every type of website.

It doesn’t support transparent background

• PNG

  Automatic gamma correction ability and transparent background support make it the best file format for logos and blog images.

The file size is quite bigger than JPEG.

• GIF

Best for conveying expressions and idea in a small animation

The use of GIF is discouraged for photographs

3. File Name

Giving the same name to your image which your camera gives it or what the file format has may seem easy, but it’s dreadful for SEO. Use intelligent and relevant keywords as the file name. It’s better to give names in plain English and according to the psyche of the users.

The above-mentioned images can have some file names like:

• Red Shoes for Women
• 2016 Valentine’s Day Shoes
• Long Shoes by Fashion Central

4. Selection of Alt Text

Alt text is the keyword or description you see when a browser fails in loading the image properly. It’s necessary to add relevent keywords with the image. For example, ‘Black Mercedes 2016’ is the most appropriate Alt Text for a Mercedes.

5. File Size

The reduced file size is required for fast loading of the website. Google recent updates precisely check the speed of the website for ranking. According to a survey, a vast majority of the users waits only for three seconds for the image loading and quit the page in the next second if it fails to appear. Heavy images take time in loading and one should use compressed images to save the user from waiting. Convert the GIF images into JPEG or other formats which support small file sizes. Similarly, you can strip the needless colors from the indexed images and improve the user experience. Casesium, FILEminimizer Pictures, and WP Smush.it are some image compression tools available online.

6. Smart Use of Thumbnails

Thumbnails give a quick view of your products, save the user time, and make the buying decision easy. E-commerce websites use hundreds of images as thumbnails without knowing that it slows down the speed of the website. Here are some smart ways of using thumbnails.

• Crop the image with the help of Photoshop, PicMonkey, and GIMP
• Make the file size small and compress each image
• Use different alt text for thumbnails and bigger image

7. Decorative Image Precautions

People use decorative images to make it eye-appealing. These images are used in footer, header, background, and buttons. Indeed every image which isn’t relevant to your products is known as decorative image and demands some precautions before adding to the website.

• Use CSS codes for colors of borders instead of adding images
• Prefer small images and PNG file format
• Crop the images or compress them before using in the web page
• Flat and transparent images are website friendly

Conclusion

Image optimization in seo has become essential for SEO strategies. It takes minimum time and promises to give outstanding results. Implementing the above-mentioned tactics will improve your digital marketing and drive more traffic as well. Smart SEO strategies and following the latest SEO trends are the ways to improve your visibility on search engines. Test your images and record the loading time. Modify your strategies if the page is taking more than 3 seconds in loading. Our advice, improvisation is the key to sustenance and you must be ready to adapt new ways in order to skim through the challenging waves of time and emerging technologies.

Must Read: Importance of Internal Links in Google Search Ranking

Featured Image: via: seotechexperts, via: baymard via: fashioncentral