If you are currently blogging as part of your marketing strategy then there’s a high likelihood that you are using images to optimise the appearance of your content.
Images have proven immensely popular and powerful in online marketing. Just one look at National Geographic’s focus on high-quality images proves their power and influence over audiences.
So whether you are a small business or a large multinational corporation, you definitely need to incorporate images into your marketing strategy, and there are plenty of visual trends to take note of including wonderlust, vanguardians and genderblend, which you can learn more about here.
However did you know that your images also possess SEO power? Countless people use Google images to search for information, and this is yet another way to attract traffic to your website. By optimising your images you stand a better chance of being stumbled upon, which could easily lead to conversions and sales.
Read on to discover how to optimise your images for SEO:
Name your files properly
When you upload an image there’s no use in leaving it sitting there idly without naming it properly. If you are using images from your desktop PC it can be easy to keep the original file name (e.g. ‘IMAGE1’ or ‘shutterstock888’), however Google pulls this name directly and uses it in searches.
Instead, every time you upload an image go to the effort of renaming it to something keyword-focused, such as ‘women’s sunglasses.’ That way, it will be much easier for your products to be found when people perform a search for them on Google images. Furthermore, if you are looking for your images again in future, they will be appropriately categorised on your desktop.
Don’t forget Alt and Title tags
Google also places an emphasis on Alt and Title tags, so optimise these when uploading your images. Help Google to understand what your images and corresponding content are all about, by making them as descriptive and detailed as possible. This is a great way to improve your rank in Google.
Make them relatable
Everything about your blog article should be related to your content, including keywords, titles and subtitles, your URL, images and so on. Although there are times when you might use an image that isn’t explicitly associated, where possible, include an image that carries some relevance. Google is all about improving the user experience, so put your readers first by providing them with engaging, eye-catching, relevant images that will keep their interest maintained for longer.
Don’t forget captions
When you don’t include a caption, you are missing out on a perfect opportunity to engage a massive audience. Studies have found that captions have the power to encourage people to read the entire body of your text, so don’t forget to include a captivating, descriptive caption that will compel readers to stay put for longer. Remember, your images need to relate to the body of your content in order to keep readers on the page.
Have a fast site loading speed
Finally, people are immediately off put by a site that loads slowly, and large image files can cause serious detriment to the loading speed of your site. See our guide here for more tips and hints on how to improve the loading speed of your site.
About 8 Ways Media
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