With visual search starting to dominate the web, you have to keep up by optimizing your pages for SEO. This way, you can increase your page’s visibility and you can have a better standing at Google’s Image Search listing. Although it may not contribute largely to your rankings, SEO-optimized images will surely give your website a big favor.

Here are seven ways on how you can optimize your images for better search:

Mind the format

One thing that you have to check is if you’re using the ideal image format. There’s no right or wrong format, though. You just have to consider if it’s ideal for the purpose. For example, if you need a high-definition photo with a small file size, a WebP format will be ideal. On the other hand, smaller images can be used in JPEG format.

Consider relevance

There’s no point in using a photo that doesn’t relate to the topic of your post or your niche in general. Also, it’s best if you use original photos instead of stock photos. This will give a more authentic feel to your pages, not to mention that it will also make your website unique.

Reduce the file size

Take note that image files can get really hefty, which will impact the loading speed of your website. So as much as possible, cut down on the file size without compromising the quality of the image. There are many applications that allow you to trim file size while retaining the visual quality of the image.

Include Alternative Text

Alt Texts work by projecting a text definition to the image if it fails to load properly. This way, your visitor will know what the image is about, making your website more inclusive. Aside from that, you can use the Alt Text area to optimize your keywords for search. Just take note that you’re not supposed to use the same keywords on all your images. Always pick different query strings that correspond to your niche.

Structure the image data

Structured data is more technical, but it pays a lot when it comes to Image Search listings on Google. This helps the search engine to index pages. With that, your pages will show up easily on image searches, which is a good way to prepare for the visual search trend. Also, more and more site visitors prefer looking up an image than reading an entire copy.

Put captions

Like Alt Texts, the image caption area is another avenue to utilize your keywords. Based on YoastSEO’s findings, image captions are 300% more likely to be read than the whole text of your post. This is why you have to utilize this area well by writing brief captions with your keyword integrated naturally.

Use a decent filename

This may seem harmless, but random filenames are no-nos. Although it will not show directly on your pages, Google will still read your filenames. So if you have the DSC111.jpg filename, expect that someone with SEO-optimization-logo.jpg will have a better edge than you. This is just a small detail that will make your website shine even more.

7 Easy Ways for SEO-Optimized Images