Importance of Image Optimization
Improve SEO, Boost Conversion, drive Engagement, Navigate Crawlers, and Index.
“Search Engine Optimization” … if you haven’t heard of it, now is the time. SEO refers to the process used to optimize a website through relevant content, links, and configurations to gain more traffic across sites and ranks higher by search engines.
So how much of a role does image optimization play in SEO? According to Buffer, an analytics company, “Content with optimized images increases user engagement by 90%”. When images are optimized for websites correctly, they will successfully drive more conversions.
Have you ever clicked on a website only to have to wait 10 seconds for the page to load and by the time it does, you have clicked out of the website? If that website had images that were appropriately file-sized, you would most likely not experience that issue. Have you ever searched a topic online, seen an interesting image that pertains to your search, click it, and find the article has absolutely nothing to do with your search? The owner of that site has not optimized their web images.
This is detrimental to the company’s long term because search platforms like google track how many people cross your site and images. Not only that but google tracks conversion and CTR (click-through rate) and when traffic is not finding what they are looking for, you are ranked lower. This leads to less traffic and a much more difficult time getting discovered. So, what are some ways to improve Image Optimization?
Correct Files. If your company media is being supplied by someone who does not understand the scope of a project, they may provide media files that do not fit with their intended use. For example, throughout your website, you may need to use PNGs over JPEGs.
File Size. The standard website currently should not contain images that are over 20 MB. When mages are larger than this, the load time for pages will drastically suffer. Dimensions depending on platforms and compression should all be taken into consideration when it comes to image optimization and the platform those images are going to be used.
Image Alt Text. When adding images to sites, your publisher should be adding image alt text to each image. Image Alt Text is essentially a description of the image and the easiest way to improve accessibility and SEO.
File Name. The text and number that typically shows at the top of previewing an image. Whoever takes the images supplied to your site, if done right will have a 1- or 2-word description that is assigned to the group of images along with a number. The file name can also be done when adding images to sites separately.
Schema Markup. This is one of the more advanced strategies for image optimization but can be done through the code section of an image. Schema Markup provides even more data to search engines. If you have ever seen star ratings directly below hyperlinks called rich snippets which further improve your CTR and traffic in general.
How do I check my website optimization?
For page speed, which will have the most to do with image optimization:
In Google, Chrome -> Open the web page you would like to check.
Right-click on the page -> Click Inspect
Once you see a window like this:
Click on the “Lighthouse” tab at the top.
Click Analyze page load.
As you can tell from our old website, there were a lot of optimization issues. However, using Lighthouse through Google Chrome allowed us to track where our website had issues and make fixes. There are many ways to check SEO and many different strategies.
What Is Image Optimization And Why Is It Important For A Website? (imagekit.io)
The Importance of Image Optimization in SEO | by Visualwebz | Web Design & Online Marketing | Medium
A Complete Guide to Creating Awesome Visual Content (buffer.com)
7 Tips for Image Optimization (neilpatel.com)
How To Use Rich Snippets, Structured Markup For High Powered SEO (searchengineland.com)