{"id":9971,"date":"2024-04-03T16:27:58","date_gmt":"2024-04-03T20:27:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/snappa.com\/blog\/?p=9971"},"modified":"2024-08-13T17:25:53","modified_gmt":"2024-08-13T21:25:53","slug":"images-for-seo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snappa.com\/blog\/images-for-seo\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Leverage Images for SEO"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you hear the term \u201cSEO,\u201d if you\u2019re like most people, blocks of optimized text filled with keywords probably come to mind. And while the copy on your site is a primary element of search engine optimization, it\u2019s certainly not the only thing that matters.<\/p>\n

Knowing how to leverage images for SEO\u2014 and knowing how to optimize images for SEO\u2014 are essential skills that can help you improve your overall search visibility, both for the images and the pages that they\u2019re on.<\/p>\n

And in this post, we\u2019re going to walk you through image optimization for SEO so you can drive more clicks (and hopefully conversions!) through your content.<\/p>\n

Why Images Matter for SEO<\/h2>\n

We know that images can improve the user experience. They break up text, are visually interesting, add context, showcase products, and can be downright invaluable when used for data visualization, tutorials, or product breakdowns (hello, infographics<\/a>).<\/p>\n

They also have several benefits to consider from the actual search engine optimization side of the equation, too.<\/p>\n

1. Optimized Images Increase Search Discoverability<\/h3>\n

People can and do use Google\u2019s image search function. Sometimes, Google will even feature images (or blog posts with images) for top search results.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s an example for the search \u201cinfographic ideas\u201d on Google:<\/p>\n

\"Google's<\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

And here\u2019s an example of a Google search for \u201cpineapple upside down cake,\u201d which features a picture of the final dish for recipe search results:<\/p>\n

\"SEO<\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Both of these search engine results pages (SERPs) are for standard search, but still feature images prominently.<\/p>\n

So, ensuring that your images can be found and understood by Google (we\u2019ll talk about that more in a minute) means that you may have advantages for gaining attention in the SERPs or showing up in additional visual searches you may not have otherwise. This increases your overall search discoverability and visibility, and even if it\u2019s only to a relatively slight degree, we should take any advantage we can with how competitive the SERPs can be.<\/p>\n

2. Increased User Engagement = Increased Dwell Time<\/h3>\n

We know that blog posts and landing pages that have images and visually-interesting elements have stronger user engagement. Users are likely to consume more content and spend more time on the page<\/a>, on average.<\/p>\n

Dwell time\u2014 or time spent on a page per session on average\u2014 is not an official ranking factor that Google has disclosed, but many SEO experts believe there is a correlation<\/a>\u00a0between higher dwell times and higher SERP ranking. It may be only correlational and not causative, but it certainly never hurts.<\/p>\n

3. Can Boost Results Coming From SEO<\/h3>\n

Most businesses that invest in SEO spend a significant amount of time, energy, and financial resources doing so. So in addition to the fact that any extra bump in search visibility is a plus, optimized images that can increase engagement once users are actually on the page means your SEO efforts are more likely to pay off beyond an initial click.<\/p>\n

The longer you engage users, the more you build brand awareness, so they may come back in the future. You also may be more successful at driving them to other pages or to take certain actions, like downloading an eBook or even making a purchase.<\/p>\n

How to Optimize Images for SEO<\/h2>\n

Optimizing images on your website for search engine performance comes down to a few key things:<\/p>\n