Optimising your images for search engines helps to increase the visibility of your blog post or website and attract more traffic to your site. Search engines can't "see" the content of your images so you need to tell them what is in the image. This is achieved in a number of ways...
Please Note: When building a website with Wix, things like compressing images to reduce them to an ideal downloadable size are done automatically through the Wix Editor. Once your images are uploaded and added, the Wix Editor compresses them to reduce upload time, optimising your media’s performance.
1. Choose the right file format
Use a file format that is suitable for the type of image you're using. JPEG is the most common file format for photographs, while PNG is better for graphics with transparent backgrounds.
JPG images are the most common format and are usually much smaller than the equivalent PNG images. Due to their smaller size, you’ll want to opt for a JPG over a PNG.
According to Wix:
"Keep in mind that these two formats are also resized in different ways. JPG uses algorithms to reconstruct only an approximation of the original data when resized and delivered over the web. This is called lossy compression, which means some of the original data is permanently removed or “lost.” When PNGs are resized, the format uses a compression algorithm that allows original data to be perfectly reconstructed (known as loss-less compression)."
So, when you want to retain quality you may opt for a PNG - however, be aware that larger files that can potentially harm your site’s performance.
There are a few cases where you will want to choose a PNG over a JPG:
When your images uses tranparency
When you need extreme high quality and sharpness
When you upload an image to your Wix website, it is automatically converted to WebP format, as it's better optimised for site performance.
2. Reduce file size
Compressing your images reduces their file size and makes your site load faster and search engines (and users!) see this as a positive.
Reduce image sizes using online tools like TinyPNG to compress your images without losing quality and reduce the number of images on pages.
Wix automatically optimises your images for best online quality and fast download. This means that, unless your file is over 25MB, you do not need to resize or compress it before uploading.
3. Use descriptive file names
Use descriptive file names. Do try and incorporate a keyword that you are looking to rank for but only if it is relevant. Don't save your files names with the generic, number based, ones that are often generated by the devices.
4. Use the location in your file name
If your business location is important or relevant then include the location in the file name
5. Use hyphens in file names
Using hyphens to break up the filename helps Google understand your content better.
6. Remember context!
It helps if the text around your image uses similar and related keywords - a co-ordinated approach is good!
7. Add alt text
Alt text is a readable description of the image that appears if the image fails to load or if a visually impaired user is using a screen reader. Use descriptive alt text that includes your target keyword to help search engines understand what the image is about. Don't stuff it with keywords or you will be penalised by search engines. Keep the text short and be descriptive, put the image in context. The priority is to write the content for the people visiting your website.
8. Use responsive images
Responsive images adjust their size to fit the screen of the device they're being viewed on. This ensures that your images look good on all devices and can help improve your search engine rankings.
9. Include images in your sitemap
Including your images in your sitemap helps search engines crawl and index them more easily.
By following these tips, you can optimize your images for search engines and increase the visibility of your blog or website.
10. Quick video overview from Wix
Don't forget if you'd like to find more sources of high quality images take a look at "From Bland to Beautiful - Quality Sources of Free Stock Images" - where I tell you about the huge range of free image resources out there, the different types of licenses AND the very exciting opportunities that AI (artifical intelligence) presents.