Suppose you are promoting a site that could get a lot of traffic from images (whether it is a wedding photographer, designer services, or an online author furniture store). In that case, you should pay special attention to correctly image optimization for websites.
Settings for publishing is essential for SEO experts because it can improve a position in Google. One of the best ways to optimize is to use a backlinks service. This service allows you to create and manage backlinks to help better identify them.
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ToggleWhy optimize visual content?
Website image optimization is to bring pictures to the requirements for better ranking and, as a result, to increase traffic.
Its will provide such benefits:
- Users will perceive more positively because you use high-quality and visually beautiful content.
- Pages will load faster and, over time, will improve conversion because you are using the optimal size.
- Will rank better and bring in more targeted visitors.
- Properly web optimized images will be useful both to promote the page..
Technical setting
Formats
The three most common file types for publishing on the web are JPEG, GIF, and PNG.
Relatable: How to Save a PDF as a JPEG for FREE
Google recommends using these formats for specific cases:
- To optimize photos for the web, use the JPG format.
- For vector graphics and solid fills, the SVG format is suitable. If vector pictures are not available, try WebP or PNG.
- To display more colors and achieve a better compression ratio, choose PNG instead of GIF.
- For videos, use the <video> tag.
Alt attribute
Alt is an attribute of the <img> tag, which helps Google correctly determine what is shown in the picture. If an cannot be loaded, then the contents of the alt attribute will be displayed to the user instead.
Adding appropriate alt attributes that include relevant keywords can help you rank higher in SERPs.
Related: How Does Effective Keyword Research Maximize Your Website’s Potential?
Use the following guidelines to alt attributes:
- Give content as concise and accurate a description as possible.
- If you sell products with a model or serial numbers, use them in alt attributes.
- Only fill alt attributes with a small number of commercial keywords.
- Use the alt attribute.
Optimizing size
It is file processing, which allows for reducing the size while maintaining their quality. Images with a lot of weight will load more slowly, thus slowing down the speed at which the page loads. If a page takes a long time to load (especially on mobile devices, where internet speed is lower), the user may think it could be of better quality and leave it. You need to use special services and compressors.
Title
Title attribute – the text of this attribute appears when you hover your mouse over the image and does not affect the ranking. The primary purpose of this attribute is to hint to readers about the content being viewed.
Best practices for the title:
- The title of the file should not contain obscure characters.
- In addition, the title attribute must fully reflect what is shown in the picture.
- Avoid writing too long a description – try to make the title attribute concise and easy to understand for users.
Address
The name file should correspond to what the user sees.
You should use clear URLs because the text from them can be considered in the ranking.
Uniqueness and copyright
Uniqueness plays a vital role in ranking. Therefore, strive to use unique images made by or for you.
To get different links that won’t be at risk of being penalized, pay attention to the features you insert. For example, if you want to insert an image from the page, ensure that it is not copyrighted or that the author has permission to use it for commercial purposes. Otherwise, you risk exposing yourself to a hefty fine.
sitemap-image.xml
You can provide Google with additional information about on the pages of your site. To do this, it is worth using the functions of the Sitemap file – so Google will be easier to find images that otherwise would not be found (for example, is loaded using JavaScript). In addition, the file will allow you to specify that it needs to be crawled and indexed.
Related: How To Download, Edit And Add Sitemap To Robots txt file
Settings for usability
Google recommends that pages should be designed primarily for users. That’s why paying attention to the perception by visitors is essential.
What to do to make the user as comfortable as possible?
- Don’t place important text – using captions is better.
- Put your pictures next to the text that describes them, or add a description (besides the alt) below each picture. Do not place images in a bunch at the end of the page.
- If you’re promoting that’s directly linked, you need to ensure the user has no problems loading your pictures as much as possible.
Linking to the surrounding content
The pictures should be related to the theme of the entire page. When a user sees that the pictures don’t match the text they’re reading, they’ll think your site could be better quality and will probably never return. In addition, Google considers the quality of the page’s information when ranking pictures.
Lazy loading
Lazy loading is a method that delays loading content while the page is loading. So only the files that are visible on the page are loaded, and all the other files remain “behind the scenes” until the user scrolls to them.
The method of lazy loading speeds up the loading of the page. It’s also useful for pages where many photos are loaded outside of the first screen (blog posts, portfolios).
As you can see, there are many ways to optimize in 2023 for virtual space use. All of them are aimed at improving usability and increasing conversions.