What is image SEO? Why it matters and how to optimize images

When writing a blog or building a website for your business, have you ever wondered: “Does image quality affect website SEO results?” MONA's answer is YES. Optimizing images brings many benefits and makes your content easier to reach for your target audience. So in this article, MONA Media will explore with you why Image SEO is so important, and how to optimize images so your content is more appealing to users and search engines. 

What is image SEO?

Image SEO is the work of optimizing factors such as the content, quality, dimensions and file size of images on a website, to improve user experience and raise the site's ranking on search engine results pages (SERP).

When images are properly optimized SEO, meeting standards for file size, quality, visual appeal and so on, search engines can more easily understand the content and context of an image, and users interact more and stay longer on your site.

In short, image SEO not only improves content quality for users but also contributes to the success of your overall SEO strategy, helping your site rank higher and attract more visits.

Why optimize images?

As MONA mentioned above, image SEO not only lifts your site's search rankings but also gives users a better experience. Here MONA breaks down how important image optimization is for SEO site and for users:

• For website SEO

Google favors content with well-optimized images, which improves the effectiveness of SEO Onpage. When the images on your site are optimized, Googlebot can crawl and index them faster, improving your page's ranking on search results pages (SERP).

Standard SEO image optimization also gives you more chances to reach potential customers and lowers advertising costs in a fiercely competitive market. When people search for a product, service or business, relevant, well-optimized images appear and catch their eye. That creates organic traffic for your site, which Google also rewards.

Image SEO also increases time on site and lowers the bounce rate, thanks to beautiful, sharp, clearly captioned images.

• For users

Images are key to catching users' attention and being remembered. With good image SEO, users get a clearer, more visual understanding through vivid illustrations, so they quickly grasp the information and value your website offers.

For example, images shoot a corporate profile hay personal portrait photography posted on SEO-optimized pages help page speed and leave a good impression on users. That makes them want to come back, which grows your traffic. Optimized images also help the site display better on mobile devices, giving users a smoother, friendlier experience.

How to do image SEO on Google effectively

To optimize images for SEO on Google effectively, pay attention to many factors, such as naming image files, using ALT tags, and choosing suitable image sizes and formats. So let's go through the 17 effective image SEO techniques below with MONA:

Find and choose images that give users value

Images on a website should represent a specific story or piece of content, since they have a stronger emotional impact than text. To make sure images give users real value, take the time to find or design illustrations that fit the topic, rather than using product photos unrelated to the content. Images that are funny, unusual or dramatic especially attract and hold readers, making your image SEO more effective.

Use original images and avoid copyright violations

Original images you create and design yourself tend to be more creative and informative than the images that are everywhere online, and users rate them higher. 

Original images also keep you clear of copyright violations. Image copyright lawsuits are still uncommon in Vietnam, but that does not mean you can use other people's images freely. For websites registered under DMCA, using images without permission can lead to complaints and legal trouble.

So for effective, sustainable image SEO, always prefer original images, especially for the products you sell, to stay clear of copyright violations. For example, take the photos yourself or invest in hiring product photography, which respects intellectual property and also raises the credibility and quality of the content on your site.

Choose image formats that suit your website

Choosing the right image format is an important part of image SEO, optimizing performance and improving your site overall. Google recommends image formats such as BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, WebP and SVG. Among them, JPG and PNG are the two most widely used today:

• JPEG (JPG) format: This is the most common format. It cuts image file size without hurting quality much. JPEG suits sites that don't need very sharp images, such as knowledge-sharing blogs.
• PNG format: With high quality and sharp rendering, PNG is ideal for online stores. Product images look more eye-catching and detailed, so customers can browse and trust them more easily.

WebP is also well regarded for its small file size and good quality, though it is less common than the two formats above. Depending on your use, choose the image format that best optimizes your website, builds credibility and a professional look, and so reaches customers and brings in quality traffic.

-> Read more: Which image format is best for a website?

Optimize image dimensions for image SEO

Images should be sized to fit your website layout. For news or guide articles, image width should be between 500px and 700px. For product or project images, a larger size of between 800px and 1,000px is appropriate. 

In most cases a few simple steps handle this part of Google image SEO, such as: 

• Resize: This cuts file size while keeping the original proportions, so the page loads faster without losing image quality. You can use tools like Photoshop or online apps.
• Crop: Sometimes you only need to show part of an image to focus on the main content. Cropping removes what you don't need, highlights the important detail and keeps the page tidy.

Reduce image file size

One key part of image SEO is reducing image file size to speed up loading. The lighter the image, the faster the page loads and the higher the site can rank.

Some tools that reduce image file size effectively:

• Pixlr: A free online tool that lets you edit and shrink images quickly and easily.
• Preview: Built into every Mac, it lets you do basic image editing and reduce file size effectively.
• ImageOptim: A free Mac tool, known for its “save for web” feature that optimizes images for the web.
• RIOT: A free image optimizer for Windows that reduces file size without lowering quality.
• Photoshop: Professional software with a “save for web” option to keep file size low while preserving image quality.

Use responsive images

Responsive images means optimizing images at suitable sizes so users have a good experience on different devices. It improves display quality and contributes to image SEO. Picture it this way: when a user visits from a desktop computer, the site should serve a large version of the image. From a tablet, it needs a medium-sized version. And on a mobile phone, the site should serve a small image.  

Mobile SEO techniques deserve SEOers' attention, because a large number of users now visit websites on mobile phones. If your site is not yet responsive, you will likely lose a lot of organic traffic from mobile users. Getting this right raises the user experience score and supports image SEO more effectively. 

If you use WordPress 4.4 or later, don't worry: WordPress generates srcset for you automatically. Automatic WordPress image SEO provides these sizes for every uploaded image:

• Thumbnail: 150px x 150px.
• Medium: 300px wide or high.
• Medium large: 768px wide.
• Large: 1024px wide or high.
• Full: The original image.

Optimize ALT text (ALT tag) for images on your website

ALT text not only improves accessibility for users but is also an important part of image SEO strategy. When an image can't be displayed or fails to load, the ALT text takes its place so users still understand what the image is about. For Googlebot, ALT text provides the information it needs to index and rank the image in search results. 

To optimize ALT text for image SEO, keep the following in mind:

• Keep it clear and short: It is best to keep the length under 125 characters so your description is complete without being wordy.
• Use relevant keywords: Work your main keyword into the ALT text, but avoid stuffing keywords in unnaturally.
• Avoid duplicates: Each ALT text on a page should be unique, with no repeated descriptions.
• Describe the image accurately: instead of generic words, give a specific description. For example, instead of writing “a picture of a cat”, write “a white cat lying on a sofa“.
• Avoid unnecessary phrases: Phrases like “picture of“, “photo of”, and similar, are usually not needed in ALT text. 

Optimize the image title

A well-optimized image title helps Google understand the image better and also improves its chances of appearing in image search results.

To get an SEO-friendly image title, follow the rules below:

• Use plain letters without diacritics and put hyphens between words: For example, if your image title is “cách tối ưu tiêu đề ảnh (how to optimize image titles)”, you should name the file “cach-toi-uu-tieu-de-anh.jpg”. This makes it easy for Google to read and understand the image.
• Include a keyword: The image title should contain the main keyword of the article. For example, if your article is about “Image SEO”, the image title could be “seo-hinh-anh.jpg”. This tells Google what the image relates to.
• Avoid special characters: Image names should not contain special characters such as #, $, /, *, ?. These characters can make it harder for search engines to analyze and index the image.

Optimize image captions

Captions usually sit under each image and help readers grasp what it shows at a glance. Optimizing captions is an important step in image SEO, because people tend to read captions when they skim an article. 

SEO experts Neil Patel have confirmed that image captions are read 300% more on average than the main body text. This shows that good captions can increase reader engagement.

To optimize captions, write short, tight lines that relate directly to the image. Don't stuff in keywords. Use them naturally, so the caption adds useful information for the reader and also helps Google understand your image better.

Optimize the image description

An accurate, detailed description explains what the image shows as fully as possible. Although it gets less attention than other factors, the image description should not be skipped in optimization, because it helps Googlebot decide whether the image suits what users are looking for. 

Google experts have also said that, as of now, Googlebot still cannot fully work out exactly what an image shows. That makes the image description important in image SEO, and it supports the process more effectively. 

To describe images well, use relevant keywords and write clear, specific descriptions that match the content and context of the image.

Optimize image URLs

When an image is uploaded to a website, the system usually generates a link for it automatically. That link is often not user-friendly and contains no keywords, which makes optimization harder. 

To improve this, follow a few simple steps: 

• First, rename the image file to a title that contains a relevant keyword, for example “hinh-anh-san-pham-ABC.jpg” instead of “IMG_1234.jpg”. 
• Next, you can use descriptive alt tags to give more detail about the image, which helps search engines understand it.
• Also, to avoid unnecessary redirects for users, you should disable the “Link to” feature in WordPress if you don't need it. 

Place images well and use a sensible number

To get the most from images in your content, spread a reasonable number of them across each post. Google recommends that an article of about 1,000 words should have at least 3 images. That many keeps readers from getting bored. That said, it depends on the content: a how-to article may need more images than an ordinary blog post.

You should also avoid adding too many images, since that can slow the page down. If you do need many images, optimize their dimensions and file size to keep pages fast, which improves user experience and supports SEO.

Create an image sitemap and get images indexed

Sitemaps helps your website's content get indexed quickly and makes your images easier to find. If you have many images, a separate image sitemap improves their chances of showing up in image search results.

There are two ways to create an image sitemap: you can create a standalone sitemap or add images to your existing XML sitemap. If you use WordPress with the Yoast SEO plugin, images are added to the XML sitemap automatically with no extra steps.

Giving search engines this detail not only helps your images get indexed but also improves their chances of appearing in image search, which strengthens your website's image SEO. Below is an example of a basic XML sitemap, and the same sitemap after images are added:

Optimize EXIF data for image SEO

EXIF data (Exchangeable Image File Format) holds information about an image, including the camera, location and other tags. When doing image SEO, optimizing EXIF data is important for improving how well the image performs and how easily it is found. 

Specifically, there are two things you should do with EXIF data:

• Remove ALL unnecessary EXIF data. This makes the image lighter and faster to load, which improves user experience and page speed.
• Tag images with EXIF data that helps SEO. By adding relevant information, such as the author's name, a description and keywords, you help Google understand your images better. It can also improve the chances of the image appearing in search results, bringing significant traffic to your website.

If you use WordPress, you can optimize EXIF data with the steps below:

• Step 1: Upload the image you want to optimize to exifer.net:

• Step 2: Clean the image's EXIF data by ticking “IF CHECKED ALL THE TAGS WILL BE CLEARED”.

• Step 3: Find the GPS location you want to tag on your image.

• Step 4: Fill in “OwnerNam” and “ImageDescription”, and remember to add a keyword to the image content. Then click Go.Exifing and you're done.

Use Schema Markup to get images into rich snippets

Using structured data (structured data) not only optimizes the images on your site but also lets them appear in Google's “featured snippets”. This can make your search result more attractive, thanks to details such as rating scores, number of reviewers and illustrative images.

When Schema Markup is applied correctly, your images can appear in rich snippets, which leave a stronger impression on users. 

Example: When someone searches for a recipe, an image with details such as cooking time, ingredients and a rating score makes your result stand out from pages with no images.

Nothing guarantees Google will always show your images in search results, but applying Schema Markup correctly raises the odds. To check your code, you can use Google's tools to make sure everything is set up properly.

Use Open Graph and Twitter Cards

Facebook, for instance, uses Open Graph to bring content from websites into the social network. When you share a URL from your website on Facebook, a preview appears with a thumbnail image, a title and a short description. To show that image, you need to add tags to the <head> section of your page, like this:

Besides Facebook, you can also use Twitter Cards to control how your content looks on Twitter. Twitter is less popular than Facebook in Vietnam, but these tags still help increase engagement and attract users. Together they strengthen your image SEO across social platforms.

Add geotags to images

Geotagging an image simply means marking the geographic location where a photo was taken, using longitude and latitude to pin down the exact coordinates. When users search for content tied to a specific place, geotagged images are more likely to show up in the results, similar to local SEO, where places close to the user are shown first.

To check whether a photo already has a geotag, right-click the image, choose Properties and look in the Details tab for GPS information. To help with geotagging, you can use websites such as Lar.vn, geoimgr.com and Geotag.online. These tools make it easy to locate your images and improve your image SEO.

If you aren't tech-savvy and find image SEO difficult, don't worry. MONA, with its professional image SEO service , can handle it for you. MONA is the choice of many businesses that now hold top Google positions in their fields, thanks to strong technical skills and full-scope SEO quote reasonable price. 

Proud to be a leading provider of SEO services a leading position in Vietnam. MONA Media's team are experienced specialists who have successfully delivered more than 300 SEO projects for many businesses across different industries, from small shops to large groups. SEO company MONA always puts its clients' interests first and is committed to strong results and quality.

Your website will not only rank higher on Google but also see a clear rise in purchase conversion rate:

• Veteran SEO specialists: MONA's SEO specialists keep studying the latest algorithms and applying current SEO trends to get the best result for each project. Their deep knowledge and professionalism ensure every SEO strategy is carried out accurately and effectively.
• SEO strategy tailored to your business goals: Each SEO strategy is customized to the specific business goals of each company, so your website not only ranks high but holds its position over time.
• A full range of SEO services: MONA offers image SEO, full-scope SEO, keyword SEO and video SEO. The team analyzes your needs and goals and recommends the best solution for your business.
• Detailed, transparent reports: Detailed, transparent reports on SEO progress and results, so you can easily track and judge how your campaigns are doing. MONA commits to honest, regularly updated reports so you always know where things stand.
• Professional advice and support: MONA is ready to answer any question and offer the best solution for your business 24/7. The MONA team is helpful and dedicated, and aims to leave every client satisfied.

More than 12,000 clients in Vietnam and abroad have trusted MONA's SEO services, which shows the reputation and value MONA delivers. CONTACT US Work with MONA Media through HOTLINE 1900 636 648 for advice and a detailed quote. Let MONA support you in reaching the top of Google and growing your business online. 

Popular image optimization tools 

Optimizing images for SEO (image SEO) plays an important role in improving a website's ranking on search engines. To become an expert in this area, you need the right tools. 

Below are some popular tools, both offline and online, to help you do image SEO effectively:

Offline tools

To keep image optimization uninterrupted and doable anywhere, offline tools are the choice of many SEOers. Common programs include:

• Photoshop: As the most widely used photo editor, with powerful editing features, Photoshop lets you resize, compress, add alt text and do almost everything else image SEO needs, such as offline geotagging, file naming and brand identification. 
• Lightshot: Lightshot is a handy screenshot tool that lets you capture and edit screenshots easily. With Lightshot you can highlight, add text, add frames to images and more. It is very useful for creating illustrations for image SEO articles. 
• Paint: This is the basic image editor on every computer. Its features are limited, but Paint is still a simple, quick way to check dimensions and file size and add text to images, so you can make sure images meet SEO requirements without installing complicated software. 

Online tools

That said, offline tools often can't meet users' more demanding needs. MONA has therefore put together a few online image optimization tools to speed up your work:

• Geotag: This online tool marks the geographic location of a photo. By adding longitude and latitude coordinates, a geotag supports image SEO by prioritizing search results near the user's location. It is especially useful for local businesses that want a stronger presence on search engines. Visit HERE! 
• Web Developer extension: This browser extension lets you check image attributes on a web page. Main features include checking image alt text, size, height and width. It is a useful tool for analyzing and optimizing images for SEO. Install HERE! 

Notes on doing image SEO

To make image SEO work better, you should regularly monitor image search traffic to your website. If you publish infographics or illustrations with your content, analyze the insights and look at it from the viewer's side: do people find your content through those images? 

For more detail on this data, you can use Google Search Console and follow the steps below:

• First, sign in to your Google Search Console account. As soon as you enter, a performance chart appears. Click Open Report at the top to get to the detailed report.

• Next, you'll see a chart of impressions and clicks from search to your website. To see data for images specifically, change the search type above the chart. In the pop-up box, choose Image >> Apply. You can now see impressions and clicks for your images, not just for the results shown on your website.

Keep in mind that users are usually drawn to an image before they read the text next to it. An attractive image closely tied to the topic leaves a strong impression and inspires people to share your content. In short, image SEO is not complicated. Spend a little time optimizing your images and your website will be more competitive in the eyes of search engines.

In conclusion, Image SEO is an important part of website optimization. It improves user experience and site metrics and raises your ranking on search engines. Investing in image SEO is not just about making your site look better. It is a long-term strategy for better search performance and happier users. We hope today's article from MONA has given you a good overview so you can do image SEO properly for your own website.