2 Steps To Optimize Imaging Sizing + Increase SEO!
*this is a sponsored post*
Does anyone truly understand what SEO is. It can be downright annoying and frustrating to think that anyone who gets on the internet has to come across this one time or another. Despite everything always changing with algorithms and the endless number of factors that go into what SEO is and how it’s run, I know I can’t learn everything ( or should be expected too !) I do have some tips especially those who are looking to boost their SEO, especially when it comes to your images.
I will say, I do these steps every single time that I have an image go on my blog. It may seem crazy but it really helped increase my organic search traffic! So let’s sit back, relax and I’ll share with you these easy tips to help you out!
Name All Your Images- No really! This seems so ridiculous right now thinking about but it really can increase your SEO. I didn’t’ do this in the beginning and now I’m kicking myself years later for it when I see past images on my blog! Naming your images with proper keywords will make it easy for those searching for those images so much easier! If you have some gorgeous graphic that you created and you uploaded it with the name “IMG_12” how is Google going to find or realize the file format? What about that amazing recipe you just whipped up? How will anyone be able to recreate those gorgeous images if it’s not labeled “Hearty Chicken Soup”?
So how does that work? The truth of the matter is- Google can’t see images, or at least right now. In the meantime, why not tell Google exactly what it is so that you can rank higher? If you name your image with the correct keywords, search engines will know where to put it. For example “Pea, Ham and Cheddar Soup” is a bit more obvious than just “IMG_12” and will bring in people searching for any of those 4 specific keywords. Don’t feel that you need to be limited to just those 4 words either. Sometimes my file names can be long but it works out well.
The key is to simply be accurate with your description so that you’re getting the quality visitors who will stay on your website ( and thus increase your SEO too! ) But I’m sure you have a question- about whether you should use hyphens in your file names. OH YES! The search engine can’t tell that Pea Ham and Cheese Soup is actually just 4 words so use those hyphen will let it know exactly what you mean!
2. Use Your Alt Attributes – Although this part is a little more important than simply naming your images. I known that a few images I didn’t have time to change the names on still can do pretty well as long as I have strong Alt attributes to it. What is Alt Attributes?
Alt attributes are a full description of your image and are used by those who have images turned off in their browsers or use a screen reader ( it’s similar to a text to speech program, for example ). Search engines see these and not only can read them, but also help make your site friendly to those of readers which is a great bonus! Alt attributes simply need to be a sentence or small paragraph describing your image. You don’t need to use hyphens either.
When you’re adding an image to Blogger or WordPress, they allow you to add alt tags to the image upload form. If you’re a bit more adventurous and want to hand code it, simply add alt=”” to your image tag!
How Can This Help You?
Here’s the great thing about doing all of this! When you fill out your alt attribute, you’re also creating the default description of you pin to use in Pinterest! Pinterest naturally pulls the alt attribute and fills in the default description in their pin box. When you create your description, make sure it’s a strong one that holds your keywords and doesn’t sound super spammy. Remember, it’s your image caption too so you want these to be as ‘rich pins’ as possible!
I understand some of these may seem a bit confusing. So why not let the pros help you out! There is an agency that specializes in all things SEO and building quality content for your blog. They are Jacksonville SEO Company and they are located in Jacksonville, Florida. The wonderful people behind this company help to integrate Google products and offer custom software to help track, test and optimize your web traffic to your blog! They help save you time and money while connecting with you helping you build your brand! The company offers consultation and a free quote so it’s easy to use starting this very minute! Check them out today to help increase your SEO and get the quality readers you deserve!
