Image Optimization: Unlock 22% More Traffic

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Last updated 2025-05-28

Did you know that 22.6% of all searches on Google are image searches?

Google Images is the second most popular way people search, after regular text searches.

Google Images can help improve local SEO. Did you know that 46% of all Google searches are looking for something nearby? Adding photos of your local business can make your website stand out in search results and attract more customers.

Proper SEO image optimization can significantly increase traffic from Google Images.

Let's talk about image optimization down:

Use high-quality images

High-quality images catch the eye and make a big difference. Blurry or low-resolution pictures turn users away. Clear, sharp images look better in search results and thumbnails, making users more likely to click on them.

By using crisp and appealing visuals, you can attract more traffic and keep visitors engaged.

Works on mobile and desktop

Designing websites for both mobile and desktop is essential because most people use their phones to search, especially on Google Images.

To make my SEO blog more user-friendly, I’ve started creating square images since they work better on mobile screens.

I also take screenshots from mobile devices instead of desktops to ensure they look great on smaller screens.

This way, my content is optimized for all device sizes and easier for users to engage with.

Use descriptive filenames

Use clear and descriptive file names for your images.

Google often uses file names to understand what an image is about. Including relevant keywords in the file name can help with image SEO.

Showing examples of descriptive filenames that can help Google crawlers better understand what an image is about, as well as bad examples.

For example, a file name like "mobile-traffic-statistic.jpg" is better than "img-123489034.jpg" because it tells more about the image content.

Use ALT attributes

Alt attributes describe images for users who can't see them, making content more accessible and improving SEO. Try to make alt text as informative as possible.

Example of how to create a correct image alt attribute that can improve SEO

Avoid keyword stuffing: Use keywords naturally and sparingly to prevent triggering spam filters.
Don't repeat information: If multiple images convey the same message, avoid repeating alt text or captions.
Skip decorative images: No need for alt text on images that don't add meaningful content.
Be clear and specific: Describe the image accurately without vague terms.
Skip "picture of" or "image of": There's no need to mention it's an image – Google already knows that.

Allow Image URLs in robots.txt

To make sure your image URLs can appear as previews on Google, check that they aren't blocked by the robots.txt file.

Allowing access will help Google display your images in search results.

Example of robots.txt showing how to allow image indexing by search engines. The text says: "Make sure images are not blocked by the robots.txt file

Structured data markup

Structured data is a way of providing machine-readable information about your pages and their content.

Depending on the type of page, you might use different kinds of structured data.

The Pad Thai search query in Google shows results with recipes, thanks to structured data markup. For example, a recipe page with proper structured data can show up in a rich, graphical result.

A news article might use News Article structured data.

And an e-commerce site might use Product structured data.

Consider large image preview

This tag tells search engines or platforms like Facebook and Twitter that they are allowed to display larger images as a preview when the page is shared or indexed.

If you don't specify the max-image-preview rule, Google may show an image preview of the default size.

Using meta tag to tells search engines that they are allowed to display larger images as a preview when the page is shared or indexed If you don't want Google to use larger thumbnail images when their AMP pages and canonical version of an article are shown in Search or Discover, specify a max-image-preview value of standard or none.

Use lazy-loading techniques

Lazy-loading is a technique that delays the loading of non-essential resources (like images, videos, or iframes) until they are needed, such as when they enter the viewport.

This improves page performance and reduces initial load times, especially for image-heavy or content-rich websites.

Use an image sitemap

Image sitemaps help Google find images on your site, especially ones loaded via JavaScript.

You can either create a separate image sitemap or add image tags to your existing sitemap – both work fine for Google.

An example of sitemap.xml with URLs and images that help Google find images on your site and improve your ranking in Google Image Search You can include URLs from other domains in the <image:loc> tags of image sitemaps. If you're using a CDN or subdomain, verify the domain in Search Console to track crawl errors.

Image Compression

Search engines rank fast websites higher.

Compressing images makes them smaller, speeding up page loads.

On slower mobile networks, compressed images load faster, boosting usability and mobile-first indexing scores.

Large images slow down search engine bots. Compression helps bots crawl and index your site efficiently.

For example, to compress an image in Squoosh, a photo of a turtle-colored cat named Meo Won from Phuket CondoPlusOne in Thailand was used. Use tools like Squoosh by Google Chrome Labs for quick image compression.