In today’s SEO strategies, image optimization plays as great a role now as always. The difference is that with new website tech and SEO practices, one must keep up with the latest techniques and apply them properly for maximum effect.
In the old days, it was just a matter of slapping up an image, adding a description and going on one’s merry way. Nowadays there’s much more. The image not only needs a title and description but tags and all sorts of labeling. Many webmasters hate to do it but it is essential if you’re using SEO.
First of all, make sure your image is relevant to the content you’re focusing on. If your content is about your local baseball team that just won a championship, your image or images should be of the team, not the bellowing crowd or some pic of you as a kid in your baseball uniform. You’ll need an up to date image with again, the title, description, tags, etc.. This way the search engines will know how better to qualify your content and not get confused.
You need to focus some text or copy to the image and if you’re using social media, use the right url, the right keywords, keyphrases, and keygroups. Add bits of data that make your image stand out and pull in attention that leads to clicks and retention.
Your sitemap is essential here and you can SEO that XML sitemap. Make sure you add attributes inside your regular sitemap right after the tags. It should resemble the example below:
See, it’s not so much different than your regular duties, just more precise.
There are more attributes that you can add and it’s wise to do so as it provides far more info for the search engines and the more info you dish out, the more the search engines have to chew on.
Consider load time when adding images though, even though you can add hundreds of them to each URL and that means not only an image sitemap but also a sitemap index file that acts as a sitemap for the sitemaps you’ve created.
You’ve got to choose your images wisely. If you’re lucky enough to be a graphic designer or have an art staff, you’ll be able to rule because your content will be unique. That leads to some potential viral SEO when you post memes based on your artwork. When posting around to Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and more, label and describe them properly with a link to the main site. Make sure the tags and labels contain your primary keyword and any Local SEO keywords. For example if your site is “Bob’s Freaky Hair Cutters In Miami, Fl” then your images should contain those keywords whereever you post.
Do not underestimate the power of image optimization. It does take some study and testing. Things don’t happen overnight and that goes for all SEO. Plan accordingly and use good SEO sense. Once you’ve gotten the basics in you’ll see the difference in your statistics. Take that data and use it to keep on image optimizing so that your SEO efforts really pay off.