If you do choose to use these types of images, make sure to include share buttons and/or embed code so you don’t miss out on getting some easy links. You can get creative when using images, but high-quality photos, charts, graphics, GIFs, infographics and visual quotes all work well. If you’ve optimized the images as described above, it tells Google that your post is relevant for the keywords and topics you’re targeting. This can be a valuable source of backlinks for your post. Link BaitĬreating graphics that engage users, offer some unique value or are just entertaining ups your chances that readers either link to the images in their own content or share them on social media. Deep captions are typically two to three sentences long, which is usually enough to engage readers so they stay on the page. Image CaptionsĮntice your readers to stick around and read more by giving your images “ deep captions.” Image captions are one of the most-read elements on a web page after headlines, so make yours count. This isn’t just good for SEO it also enhances the user experience. A critical part of that is ensuring your graphics respond to mobile devices to show an appropriately scaled image. If you want to rank well, you’ll need to make sure your site delivers a good mobile experience. Google is placing a greater emphasis on the mobile experience and are even making moves toward using a mobile-first index in the near future. Use tools such as Optimizilla, TinyPNG or Kraken to compress your images to reduce their overall footprint.
High-resolution images are necessary to give your site a professional look, but bloated file sizes can impact load times and your overall ranking. According to Moz, industry best practice is to keep your alt text to 140 characters or less. Bonus points for including your target keyword, as this is a ranking factor and will impact both the post’s ranking as well as the image’s visibility within Image Search. Alt TextĪdding relevant, descriptive alt text to each image ensures that readers who are using screen readers or have images disabled are able to understand what the image represents. Readers and spiders should be able to get a good sense of what the subject of the image is based on the file name. Include your targeted keyword in the media’s file name, but in a human, readable way. Google and other search engines have a large list of factors that determine search rankings (check out Search Engine Land’s table of ranking factors), and it’s important to understand what they are and which ones are relevant to the media on your site. On the flip side, properly optimized images provide a better user experience, which might improve time on site, and they can broaden your site’s ranking opportunities via the SERPs and Google Images. Photos that take a long time to load, for example, can send your rankings plummeting and your bounce rate skyrocketing. There’s no question about it - images that aren’t optimized can hurt your website. They’re are a big part of the overall perceived quality of your post, so it’s important that you get this right.Ĭombine quality content with optimized images to achieve and maintain solid rankings. These graphics can include charts, graphs, screenshots, GIFs and photos. To maintain a solid ranking, you need to include rich media, such as images and videos, and they should reflect the same quality and voice as your post to help communicate its point. Kissmetrics tells us that quality content isn’t enough. Awesome!Īfter putting in the work of crafting a killer post, you need to make sure that your visual game matches up. It’s engaging and informative, and you know readers and search spiders alike are going to love it. You’ve just written a post that exhaustively explores your topic and satisfies searcher intent.