We all know the importance of images when it comes to surfing the web. You can quickly acquire information and view relevant imagery to better understand the topic you are researching. So, when it comes to developing an effective SEO strategy, just how important are images for SEO?
Images can have a significant impact on SEO efforts. A well-optimised image can help to improve website engagement, increase organic traffic and push for higher rankings. To achieve higher rankings using imagery, images must be:
- In a suitable format
- With appropriate image dimensions
- Using a relevant file name
- Included on a sitemap
- Mobile-friendly
- Alternative text provided
- With added structured data
- Using lazy loading protocols
Keep reading to find out more about the importance of images for SEO and how to optimise your website’s imagery.
How Do Images Help With SEO?
Images are a key focus for many users when they open a search engine like Google. The staggering quantity of images that are available at the push of a few buttons is only growing and, in 2024, it was estimated that Google Image Search indexed approximately 136 billion images. This has made images a vital part of SEO efforts.
This means that with images that are well-optimised and relevant, you could achieve higher rankings for your website. As images on Google have a separate tab and even use their own algorithm, by utilising images that are optimised for SEO, you can appear higher for those users that are only searching for images. If you appear high enough for these searches, you can boost traffic and engagement for your website. Furthermore, images can make your on-page content more engaging and help to improve the user experience.
Are Original Photos Better than Stock Photos for SEO?
By their very nature, stock photos are generally used on multiple websites for a wide variety of industries. Consider how you interact with a stock image compared to a unique and highly-relevant image; by using unique imagery that is personal to your business, user experience can be improved significantly. Furthermore, by using the same stock photo as another website, it is possible that Google will treat your use of that image as duplicate content which could result in poor SERP performance.
To find out more about duplicate content, read our detailed blog: Why is Duplicate Content Bad for SEO?
How Do Copyright Rules Affect Images for SEO?
When it comes to uploading images to your website, it is vital that you consider how those images are protected by copyright. The last thing you want is to receive a large fine for using an image without the owner’s permission. It is better to be safe than sorry; ensure you are either using your own imagery or royalty-free photos from a reliable source to avoid copyright infringement.
How to Optimise Images for SEO
So, now that we know how important images are for SEO, the next logical question is: How do you optimise an image for SEO? Take a look at our top tips below to help your images perform better in a SERP.
Image Format
While search engines can support the use of a range of image formats, the best option to use for your website will typically be a PNG format. Images in a PNG format can then be easily converted into a WebP format when uploaded to your website. WebP files load quickly without compromising on poor quality. Generally speaking, the smaller the file size the lower the quality of the image will be. However, smaller file sizes will also decrease the time taken to load an image. It is therefore important to consider the context of your website before deciding on the optimal image format.
Image Dimensions
Another key factor when uploading images onto your website is to consider the dimensions of your images. Without defining suitable dimensions for your image, the Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) score for your website can be negatively affected, which can ultimately result in reduced rankings. Core Web Vitals are a ranking factor for Google, so make sure to include width and height attributes for every image you upload.
Find out more about how to test your website’s Core Web Vitals by reading our detailed blog: How to Audit Your Site Speed & Performance
File Names
It is key that a search engine is able to not only deliver your images at a suitable speed and quality, but can also understand what the images are showing. One way to achieve this is by including a descriptive file name with keywords included. This gives a crawler context, improving the value of your images for SEO.
Find out more about how search engines crawl and index your content by reading our detailed blog: What is Crawling and Indexing in SEO?
Adding Images to a Sitemap
By including your images on your website’s sitemap, you are significantly increasing the likelihood that a crawler will be able to find and index your images. This will increase the visibility of your content and help to boost the organic traffic to your website.
Find out more about the importance of an up-to-date sitemap in our detailed blog: What Is a Sitemap and How Do Search Engines Use Sitemaps?
Mobile-Friendly Images
As Google is a ‘mobile first’ crawler, it is vital that your images are served in a mobile-friendly format. This means you will need to include attributes that enable images to be displayed in a responsive manner that automatically adjust according to the device size or resolution being used. If you are using WordPress 4.4 or later, images that are uploaded to your website should already have the ‘srcset’ attribute included which facilitates responsive images. Otherwise, you will need to add this attribute manually.
Alternative Text
Another way to help both search engines and users with accessibility requirements to interpret the subject of your images is to include alternative – or ‘alt’ – text. If an image is unable to load, the alt text will be displayed in its stead. Ensure that you have implemented other forms of image optimisation to ensure that your images will load, but if your images do fail to load, alt text will enhance on-page SEO.
Structured Data
Schema is a form of structured data which provides a search engine with more information than is typically available to them. By adding structured data to your images, you open the possibility for receiving results that have an improved visual element. This can be enhanced if you are able to provide relevant information such as reviews, prices and availability.
Find out more about structure data by reading our detailed blog: Is Structured Data a Google Ranking Factor?
Lazy Loading
To improve the initial load speed of a webpage that may have a number of images on it, consider implementing lazy loading. This means that an image will only load once a user scrolls to that area of the page, which helps to improve page speed performance and reduce the Largest Contentful Paint. To implement lazy loading, you can add the HTML attribute of ‘loading=lazy’ to an image which will tell the browser to wait to load an image until the user scrolls to it.
How Can I Implement a Robust SEO Strategy?
If your website is not performing as well as you think it should be, one issue may be the images you have on your website. However, it is likely that there are a number of potentially complex and vital tasks which could be completed to help you achieve higher rankings.
At Wildcat Digital, our team of SEO experts are available to help boost your organic rankings. To find out more about our comprehensive services, click here. Alternatively, submit a contact form to arrange a consultation.
Andy Blanchard
Senior SEO Executive
