Photos can generate loads of search engine traffic from the Google image-based search engines.

Image Optimization – Alt Text

Presently, search engine spiders cannot recognize “the subject matter of an picture.”  Instead, they rely on the “Alt Text.”  Therefore you must help the spiders understand each of your images by placing a  text description within the alt text of the images.  Use your keyword phrase in one or two instances of “ALT text” on the page.  To include it, you simply add alt="this is your alt text" to your image tag.

Image Optimization – File Size

Page load time is crucial!  People are going to wait a mere second or two before they back out of a website that is not loading. So bounce rate is the factor you need to weigh with regard to image size.  Make your media file sizes as small as possible (to be visible on your website).  Use Adobe Photoshop or an  Image Optimizer to adjust photo sizes.   [A large, quality picture should be around 70kb and a picture image at around 20 - 30kb].

Image Optimization – File Name

Before you upload your photos to a website page, pick a descriptive & keyword targeted filename –  it will boost your Google Image Search Engine rankings.

If you want to see SEO Image Optimizing in action, just click here and view the top ten Google Images for the keyword term ‘African American Yoga Teacher’ [notice the website name & alt tags of the top Google pics ].

High ranking photos nearly always have the keyword you searched for in their file name.

Image Optimization – Captions

There’s no direct relation between image captions & search engine rankings.  However, because they are one of the most well-read pieces of content on your site, Image Captions can lower your bounce rate.

• A bounce rate over 70% is considered a high bounce rate [bad].
• Bounce rates under 50% [good].
• Bounce rates as low as 40% or 30% [excellent].

• Image Optimization
• Free Image Optimizer Tool