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Image Optimization

A free, simple guide to the basics of optimizing images on your website.

Optimizing Images:

Images have had a role in optimization since the early days of SEO. However, since most search engine's now provide convenient image search options it has become unavoidably important.

This is most evident with Google's recent shift to Universal Search where relevant images are returned as results appear in search listings.

There are several ways to optimize your images for search including - relevant alt text, relevant file naming and proximity to relevant content.

Placing an image amidst thematically focused content seems to increase the images chance of ranking for words relevant to the pages content.

This is a sort of 'passive optimization', and generally happens naturally. More direct and purposeful optimization includes implementing relevant alt text and formulating relevant naming conventions for your sites images.

Image Optimization details:

Placement
Images should reside in the <body></body> of a document

Format
<img src="optimized_filename_goes_here" alt="This is where your optimized alt text goes">

Image Size Limitations:
Avoiding placing alt text on minor/small images

File Naming Limitations:
Maximum character limit - 127* characters

Alt Text Limitations:
Maximum character limit - none , avoid exceeding 30ish

Optimizing Image Alt Text:

Alt tags are the textual description of an image that appears when your mouse is over an image.

Alt text is displayed on-screen when an image cannot load and is interpreted/repeated by screen readers for the visually impaired.

Since search engine spiders cannot see image content, alt text can provide a relevant description of the image, the content of the page it is on, or the page that a linked image is pointing to.

Image Alt Text optimization tips

Limit length of Alt text - avoid stuffing it with unnecessary words or even relevant keyphrases
Avoid placing alt text on minor images - old spam tactics included paragraphs of alt text in 1px images
Do use target phrases naturally in alt text
Do be descriptive - keep in mind image alt text is also providing the visually impaired with content
Do provide alt text for images that link to other pages - this acts much like anchor text in text links
Do not use HTML tags in alt text
Do not try to wrap images in H1 tags - it doesn't work (and yes... I've seen people actually do this)

Optimized alt text examples

Poor Alt Text:
"picture"
"Keyword, keyword, target keyphrase, keyword, keyword..."

Better Alt Text:
"free seo guide banner "

Best Alt Text:
"Free SEO Guide"
"Free SEO Guide. Click to begin reading."

Optimizing Image file names:

While alt text optimization is older and more practiced, using relevant phrases in your image file names is important and effective.

As with any optimization effort you don't want to get carried away with keywords, but a natural use of relevant phrases in file names is not only good SEO, its also a good usability convention.

Image Naming optimization tips

Limit length; technical limitations of 127 characters is far to long for an effective image name
Separate keywords to be read as separate words (IE avoid "hereismyseoimage.gif")
Place target phrases at the front of the filename

Optimized file naming examples

Poor File Naming:
"hereismyseoimage.gif"
"img_345665-grfc.gif"

Better File Naming:
"billboard_x4_seo_guide.gif" *
* this is an example of compressing directory structure into file naming to reduce overall URL length and file depth.

Best File Naming:
"free_seo_guide_banner.gif"
"free-seo-guide-banner.gif"

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SEO Defined

SEO, a commonly used acronym for search engine optimization, is the practice of designing or modifying your website's structure and/or content to allow it to rank higher in search engine results.