Enhancing and Optimizing Image and Visual Search for SEO Best Practices

The digital landscape is changing how people consume content online, and there has been a phenomenal increase in the value of visual search. The rise of platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest are testament to this. That is why it's no wonder Google is also following suit and image searches are dominating the web. When people see the right image pop up after running text-based searches, they want to click on them and then visit the website for more information.

This is why brands perform SEO-friendly content writing on their images to get them to become visible on search engines. If you are a brand that hasn't been paying attention, you must start optimizing your content to ensure better visibility in this emerging space. This post will help business owners learn how to optimize their images.

Selecting The Correct Format

The top choices when it comes to picture format are PNG and JPG. The standard rule that has been working well for most websites is using PNG for logos and JPG for photos on their sites. The PNG format helps capture the story you are trying to tell with the logo as it allows for a more transparent background and can help detail every aspect of the company logo.

JPG on the other hand loads faster as it is easy to compress and even if you have thousands of pictures on your site about products, it won't affect your site's speed. If you have a limited number of pictures, then you can start with PNG. Although they have a larger file size, they create a better quality visual. If you want to strike the right balance, go with JPEG. If you like to be versatile, then WebP format needs to be used as it's supported by the leading browsers like Firefox and Chrome.

Only Using Unique Images

If you want to get more traffic, you need to focus on including unique images. A lot of brands tend to use generic images from free sources and if the same image is being used again and again by articles in different industries, it will not look good for your brand. Using original photos can help you generate more interest as customers are able to see your real workers and equipment. This will make your website more memorable, help spark interest, and might even help improve SEO.

For instance, if you own a barber shop in Harlem, then putting your photos of the premises including those of barbers doing their work will be more beneficial than just putting a generic picture. When choosing photos, pick ones that will resonate with your target audience.

If you are an e-commerce brand, then invest in good quality product photography as this will attract your customers and help them make their buying decisions. Using generic photos can also increase the risk of copyright violation. Some business owners often use paid images on accident from sites such as DepositFiles, Shutterstock, and Getty—this can lead to expensive lawsuits and copyright issues.

Customize Image File Names and Alt Text

To help search engine crawlers, you need to customize image file names and try to be as descriptive as possible. You can give file names and add image SEO to optimize each image for search engines. Don't forget to make it SEO friendly by using keyword-rich file names. The algorithm will also give you brownie points if you follow the American Disabilities Act and write the text so those with disabilities can understand what these images are.

If you feel this to be too time-consuming, then hire affordable SEO content writers to optimize your image file name, alt text, and title tags.

Mobile-Friendly Images

It can be frustrating to have images not open or adjust when using a smartphone. This can affect the user experience and lead to a high bounce rate. If you don't understand how to make your site more mobile responsive, then giving a reputable SEO marketing company will help. There help follow the guides on sizes and attributes on different browsers. You can go above and beyond by making it friendly for reading on people's smart watches.

Add Images To Your Sitemap

To help make the life of search engines easier, you need to add images to the sitemap. This will make indexing easier and the algorithm will reward you. You can also outsource this to an SEO-friendly content-writing service.

An SEO-friendly content writing services like Search Berg can help you improve your SEO rankings.

About the Author

Sara Paul is a highly experienced SEO services consultant working for an affordable content writing service, Search Berg. He helps small businesses optimize their images with SEO-friendly image descriptions.

Sara Paul is a renowned freelance Seo copywriter with over a decade of experience in Seo copywriting.