Visuals, i.e. images, photos and infographics, are essential if you want your website to enjoy excellent SEO. After all, no matter how stunning your content, a photo is often more evocative than a text. Learn why you must not ignore the importance of images, as well as the best way to integrate them into your digital strategy.

1. Why is it important to index the images that appear on your website?

Let’s face it. The images on your website aren’t just there to make everything look pretty. A significant portion of Internet users skip Google’s “All” section and do their searches under the “Images” heading.  So if you want your images to be found, you need to link them to a description.  Google does not know how to read an image’s content. Yet… That means that for now, it’s up to you to describe it.  And the more precise your description, the more likely an Internet user will come across your site in a Google images search.

When you label your images properly, you will rank better in Google “Images.” Internet users who find them along their search will then be immediately redirected to your site.  So in addition to enhancing your website’s visual appeal, your images will considerably improve your natural SEO. When people search for products or services, image searches most often lead to a purchase.  The website, Cdiscount estimates that 10% of its traffic comes from image searches.

Handy Tips

• 90% of information that is transmitted to the brain is visual.
• Content such as a blogpost or webpage that contains several images will be 40 times more likely to be shared on social media than a similar article with no illustrations.
• And to be radically honest, in general, Internet users don’t read your stellar content. They’re happy just to look at the pictures.

2. What do you do to improve the online impact of your images?

Leave nothing up to chance. To start, carefully choose the images you will use for your website. They need to fit seamlessly into your texts, complementing and boosting the appeal of your content for Internet users.  Next you need to take the time to choose your title or filename, as well as your description which is also known as an “alt tag.” When it comes to SEO, these two factors are crucial.

Handy Tips

When you describe your image and provide an Alt tag, make sure you keep it brief and concise. Try to use as many keywords as possible that relate to both your image and your business activity.  If for whatever reason, your image does not display on the Internet user’s screen, they will be able to see your tag.  All the more reason not to do a sloppy job.

Key Points to Remember

• Images help to boost your website’s natural SEO.
• On the Internet, most image searches result in a purchase.
• In addition to choosing the right image, it’s highly important to give thought to its file name and description.