Optimizing images for search engines is as important as optimizing the content. This is because people search for information using Google images, Bing images etc. Image optimization is a little different from content optimization. Here are some of the things a person can do to get more organic traffic.
1. Use a relevant and eye-catching image
They are the first things that people see when they load a webpage. An eye-catching image will make people curious about the content. Good content coupled with a good one will prompt people into sharing the link in social media and therefore cause an increase in traffic.
It is important to pay special attention to SEO optimization. You can either design the images yourself using Photoshop or look for free one online. Make sure you do not use copyrighted images to prevent unnecessary lawsuits. Also, a person should only use JPEG, GIF, PNG and BMP images during the SEO optimization process.
2. Use relevant keywords
An image always has a name when adding it to a blog post or article. More often than not, that name does not describe that one. Image optimization with keywords is important because search engine bots use them to rank the post and image in the SERPs. The keywords used in the optimization should relate to the ones in the content e.g. if the content is optimized for ‘smartphone apps’, it should have a name like “best smartphone app”
3. Use alt tags and alt text
Search engine bots will not see these as humans see them. They have to be described using alt tags and alt text etc. otherwise; the spiders will just skip them. When writing alt attributes, you should use words that are related to the keywords in the content. A good description will allow your image to be highly ranked in image search engines.
An example of an alt tag in using during the SEO image optimization process could be alt=”men’s cologne” assuming that your article was related to men’s cologne.
4. Pay attention to anchor text
Anchor text is the words used when attaching a link. Sometimes, a webmaster decides to link to one for better explanation. In optimization, the choice of words used should reflect the relationship between the image and the content. For instance, if the article is about wooden furniture and it is that of a wooden chair, the anchor text can be words like “good quality wooded chairs”
5. Avoid spamming
Putting too many keywords, alt tags and alt text may cause bots to flag that image as spam. This means your SEO image optimization work will be nullified. Make sure that you use keywords and description in moderation; just like in the content. A webmaster should know that image optimization is for the end user and not for the bots. Optimizing an image with this mindset will keep you from overdoing it.
There are many other things a webmaster should do on the image optimization process like labeling file extensions, determining image size, compressing the images etc.
In a nutshell, image optimization is very important when looking for organic traffic.
