Google Image Search and Reverse Image SEO
We know about the efforts Google puts in to serve the most relevant result. Google has been updating its algorithm from the beginning for the same purpose. The search engine started with text search, and with the rise of online activities such as shopping, learning, and exploring, Google also took a step ahead and started its image and audio searches. Digital Marketers are also catching up to the pace of Google’s function and algorithm evolutions. In this blog, we will spill some beans about how we, as an expert digital marketing agency, are doing image optimization.
The Importance of Images on Digital Platforms
As a user, how often has it happened that you were scrolling on a web page and stopped because a colorful, high-quality, attractive image appeared? You may not have read a single word on the page, but you surely would have scanned the image. This is what pictures do. They can convey a message in a much more entertaining form. Although text has its own effects on the reader, images can help form a picture of the conveyed message in the mind.
Digital marketing is about attracting users with content and spreading awareness about a product. A great marketing agency knows how to do that. They know how to adopt new strategies with changes in search engine algorithms, take care of all the minute details that help in search engine result page (SERP) ranking, and how to use and optimize images.
What is Image Optimization?
Optimization means making the best use of resources. Image optimization means making the best use of images to impress both users and search engines. The purpose of impressing search engines is to get a higher rank on search engine result pages (SERPs). Search engines like Google take responsibility for user happiness. If webmasters make users happy, they make search engines happy and get a higher ranking.
Let’s look at how to optimize an image for your web page.
1.High-Quality Picture
Of course, who wants to see big pixels, blurry images with squinted eyes? High-quality images leave a positive impression and convey the brand’s clear message to the user. High-quality pictures increase user engagement hence helping the website to rank higher.
2. Compressed File
Yes, high-quality images are most welcomed; however, ensure they are not too large in size, as it could negatively affect the page load speed of your web page. Large file sizes consume more space on web pages and consequently slow down the loading process, potentially annoying users. On average, users are willing to wait for about 3 seconds for a page to load; anything longer may lead them to click the back button, increasing the bounce rate. A high bounce rate leaves a negative impact on SEO. To optimize your website’s performance, make sure to use high-quality images with the correct image size.
3. Charts and Graphs:
High-quality images are most welcomed; however, ensure they are not too large in size, as it could negatively affect the page load speed of your web page. Large file sizes consume more space on web pages and consequently slow down the loading process, potentially annoying users. On average, users are willing to wait for about 3 seconds for a page to load; anything longer may lead them to click the back button, increasing the bounce rate. A high bounce rate leaves a negative impact on SEO. To optimize your website’s performance, make sure to use high-quality images with the correct image size.
4. Correct Format:
Choose an image format that is supported by most of the user’s devices. You don’t want the users to watch empty ‘file not supported’ labeled spaces on your website.
Though there are numerous options for image formats, the PNG and JPEG formats are the most commonly used on the internet.
PNG: Provides higher image quality but results in larger file sizes.
JPEG: Sacrifices some image quality but allows for adjusting the quality level to achieve a suitable balance.
WebP: The sole image format supported by both Chrome and Firefox, it gives a choice between lossless or lossy compression.
In our opinion, PNG is an underrated hero in image formatting. However, for everyday tasks, you can use PNG and then convert them to WebP.
It is important to note that if you use .jpg images within an inline SVG format, they may not be indexed by Google’s systems.
5. Alt Tags, Titles, and Description:
Google reads the image alt tags, titles, and descriptions to find out what the images are about and the message they are conveying. This information helps Google to detect the relevancy of the users’ searches.
What is Reverse Image Search, and How does SEO work for it?
As mentioned, Google has been successfully evolving its search engine to cater to current trends and users’ needs. This evolution began when Google introduced the image search option. Users could type a text and find images related to their search description.
With the passage of time and the boom in online shopping, reverse image search has become a popular trend. But what exactly is reverse image search? It’s a feature that allows users to search for an image or the source of an image by uploading a photo to the search bar.
Reverse image search has gained popularity, especially in the realm of online shopping. For example, if you spot someone wearing a cool pair of shoes, you can take a picture, search it on a search engine, and voilà! You’ll get hundreds of similar items on your search engine result pages.
To ensure your products appear in maximum related searches, expert assistance is necessary. Digital marketers are perfect for this job, and you need not worry. We’re here to share some image SEO best practices before you hire a marketing agency.
File name and Description:
Always, I repeat, always write the description and title of your image files. Google uses these descriptions and titles to match them with search queries. Just like in text marketing, adding keywords is a crucial element here as well. When adding descriptions and titles, conduct keyword research to find words that your counterparts may have used in their image descriptions. This will help you appear on the relevancy list of Google.
Having the correct description and title tags also improves your visibility in forward image searches. So, make sure to pay attention to these details to enhance your image SEO and improve your chances of being discovered through search engines.
Include your images in your sitemap
Including images in your sitemap can help search engines discover and index your images more effectively. When search engines crawl a website, they follow links to discover and index its content.
By including image URLs in the sitemap, you are explicitly telling search engines that these images exist and should be indexed.
Including image sitemaps also allows you to provide important information about each image, such as captions, titles, alt text, and even details about the image dimensions or licensing rights. This metadata helps search engines better understand and categorize the images, increasing the chances of them appearing in relevant image search results.
Overall, including images in your sitemap is a recommended practice for maximizing the visibility and accessibility of your images in search engine results pages.
Check for the Copyrights:
Ensure to either create your own image. If you use images from other sources, do check that there are no copyright issues to avoid copyright conflicts. You may get penalized by the original sources for violating copyright issues. Under Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), you can be issued if the owner of the image gets offended for using their image.
Kosch's Marketing at your service:-
Image optimization is a vital element of SEO. There are many factors that need careful attention. Kosch’s Marketing, with its experienced team, helps you gain vast visibility on digital platforms. We offer multiple services that help your business gain more credibility and customers. To help you on your marketing journey, we suggest that you schedule a free 30-minute consultation meeting with our experts or contact us. We are here to help you succeed.
