Optimizing Images for SEO in 2024
With over 50% of website traffic now coming from mobile devices, having a fast, mobile-friendly website is more important than ever for SEO in 2024. And one of the best ways to speed up your site and enhance the mobile experience is by properly optimizing your images.
Optimized images load faster, look crisp on all devices, and allow search engines to better understand your content. By following some key image optimization best practices, you can significantly improve your site's SEO and user experience. This definitive guide covers everything you need to know.
Image Optimization Tips
- Compress files to reduce size without sacrificing quality
- Use proper resolutions for the image's purpose
- Optimize file names and alt text with keywords
- Employ responsive images and lazy loading for speed
- Leverage next-gen formats like WebP and AVIF
- Focus on optimizing for mobile screens
One of the most impactful image optimization tips is to compress image files to reduce their size without sacrificing perceptible quality. Using a tool like TinyPNG, you can compress JPEGs and PNGs by up to 80% with no visible loss of quality.
When saving images, be sure to choose the right resolution for the image’s purpose. Don’t use a 2000x3000 pixel photo as a 50x50 pixel thumbnail. Find the ideal resolution balance between visual quality and file size for each image type.
For photos, JPEGs are still the standard. But for logos, illustrations, and simple images with few colors, PNGs allow for lossless compression and transparency.
Newer formats like WebP and AVIF allow for even better compression, though browser support is still limited. Serve these next-gen formats to supported browsers for a speed boost.
Use descriptive, SEO-friendly file names like "keyword-rich-filename.jpg". Avoid generic names like "image1.jpg".
Write detailed alt text like "A man hiking through Alberta's beautiful Banff National Park", not just "Man hiking". Use key phrases, but don't over-optimize.
Leverage CDNs to serve images from servers near users. Use responsive images to serve properly sized files. Lazy load below-the-fold images to boost speed.
Also create resized/compressed images for mobile screens. Optimize aspect ratios and file sizes to prevent slow loading or excessive zooming on mobiles.
Advanced Image Optimization
- Optimize animated GIFs with tools like Giflossy, focusing on reducing frame counts and palette colors.
- For video, use MP4 instead of GIFs, and enable autoplay muted with previews on hover.
- Improve visual presentation with lightboxes for full-size viewing.
- Enhance images for voice search by using descriptive captions.
- Add structured data for local businesses to optimize images for local SEO.
- Use image schema markup to optimize images for rich results.
Optimizing your images for SEO comes down to making them fast, mobile-friendly, and descriptive. By compressing files, using proper formats, and writing strategic text, you can significantly boost your image SEO.
With these tips, you can have your site's images looking great while improving SEO rankings, site speed, and user experience on all devices in 2024.
