Many websites put images on their pages without properly optimizing them. Which makes them take longer to load and rank lower in search results. This gives users a bad experience.
This often upsets users, especially on mobile. And they might leave before the page even loads.
If your website does not have optimized images, it might be turning away potential customers.
Also, images that are not optimized could hurt your SEO. This makes it harder for people to find you.
So, optimizing images can speed up your site, enhance your SEO performance, and improve the user experience.
Here we are going to show you some image SEO tips to get higher conversion rates.
But at first, you should know
Images are powerful. They grab attention and convey emotions. Also, they make your content more digestible.
But did you know that optimized images can directly impact your conversion rate?
Here is how:
Heavy, unoptimized images can slow down your site. So a slow website is a major turn-off for visitors.
According to Google, 53% of mobile users leave a page if it takes longer than three seconds to load.
High-quality, fast-loading images create a better user experience. And when users enjoy their experience, they are more likely to complete a conversion action.
Properly optimized images can rank in Google Image Search, which brings more organic traffic to your website. This increase in visibility drives new visitors.
Also, it gives your site a credibility boost. This makes people more likely to trust and buy from you.
Effective images are great storytellers.
They visually communicate your brand. Which can enhance the emotional appeal of your site and influence buying decisions.
Further read: All About Conversion Rate Optimization
Let's dive into some essential image SEO practices to enhance your site’s conversion rate:
Quality and speed can be balanced by choosing the right image format. Different formats serve various purposes and have specific advantages:
A versatile format best suited for images with many colors, like photographs. JPEGs compress well and can handle detail without occupying much space.
Ideal for images needing transparency, such as logos or icons. However, PNGs are typically larger than JPEGs.
A newer format developed by Google. It offers the quality of JPEG with a smaller file size.
Google recommends WebP for its ability to compress without sacrificing quality.
Sites using WebP images often experience faster load times. Shopify reported that switching to WebP can lead to a 10% increase in conversions because of enhanced load speeds, particularly on mobile.
The larger the image, the longer it takes to load.
Compressing your images ensures quicker load times. Which can significantly boost conversions.
Use ETTVI’s Image Compressor to compress images without losing quality. This tool offers both lossy and lossless compression. Which allows you to choose the best option for your needs.
Click on the “Upload File” button or drag and drop the image for compression as well.
Then click on “Compress” to run ETTVI’s tool and wait for a few moments. After the tool ends compression, click on “Download” to save the compressed image on your device.
Faster sites can reduce bounce rates by 35% on average, as they load quickly and provide a smoother experience. The result is often a higher chance of conversions.
A well-named image file helps search engines understand the content. This helps boost the image’s chances of ranking on Google Images.
Avoid generic file names (like "IMG1234.jpg") and instead use descriptive names with relevant keywords.
For Example
Instead of “IMG_5678.jpg,” name the file “hiking-trail-in-autumn.jpg.”
It provides context and adds SEO friendly keywords. Also, it increases the likelihood of ranking for search terms like “hiking trail.”
Alt text serves multiple purposes. It describes the image for visually impaired users and helps search engines grasp what the image represents.
Use concise, descriptive alt text that incorporates keywords naturally.
Alt text should be:
Descriptive: Clearly depict the image’s content.
Concise: Keep alt text under 125 characters.
Keyword-rich: Use keywords relevant to the image without keyword stuffing.
Let's take an example to understand it better:
If you are showcasing a blue ceramic coffee mug, the alt text could be: “Blue ceramic coffee mug with handle, available in 12 oz size.”
It is straightforward, descriptive, and keyword-rich. Which can help your image rank higher in an image search.
In 2024, a mobile-friendly website is essential. And responsive images are a crucial part of this.
Images that are responsive change size depending on the device, like a phone, tablet, or computer screen.
The experience is better on all devices when you use responsive images. Which could lead to more conversions and happier users.
Here are some tips to make images responsive:
Use the secret attribute to define different versions of the image for various screen resolutions.
Optimize images for both retinal and non-retina displays. This provides a high-quality experience on all devices.
According to Google, mobile-friendly websites rank higher, and responsive images are a key factor.
Over 60% of searches happen on mobile devices. So a responsive design could help your site get more sales.
People often forget about captions. But they can be very powerful.
A caption provides context. Which increases user engagement. This can boost on-page time and conversions.
Captions should:
Be concise and relevant.
Offer additional information or context to enrich the user’s understanding.
According to studies, 80% of users read captions more than body text. This makes them a prime area to enhance engagement and drive conversions.
An image sitemap provides Google with information about all images on your site.
Standard XML sitemaps help search engines find pages. But image sitemaps help search engines find images. Which makes it more likely that they will show up in search results.
Google prioritizes websites that use image sitemaps. This can lead to increased organic traffic and conversions.
Here is how to create an image sitemap:
Go to ETTVI’s Sitemap Generator.
Include URLs of each image and any relevant metadata.
Submit the sitemap to Google Search Console for indexing.
Images can be shown in Google's rich results when they have structured data (schema markup) added to them. This can help them get more attention.
Structured data types vary depending on the image’s purpose:
Allows product images to show up in Google’s shopping listings.
Ideal for recipe images. This makes them eligible for rich snippets.
Useful for blog images. Which increases the chance of appearing in Google’s visual search results.
If you implement structured data, you can increase your images’ chances of appearing in Google’s enhanced results. This improves visibility and drives more traffic to your site.
Conversion rates can be greatly affected by where you put images on your page.
Users tend to focus on images appearing “above the fold." That is the part of the page visible without scrolling.
Place high-impact images, like product photos or call-to-action visuals, above the fold to capture immediate attention.
Use images to break up long pages or blog posts and keep users interested.
Crazy Egg’s research found that images above the fold can increase conversions by up to 38%. Because users are more likely to interact with content they see immediately.
Poor-quality images can make users question the validity of a website.
on the other hand
High-quality images help build trust and enhance the brand image.
Here are the following points to be remembered:
Images should be high-resolution and properly lit. Also, it should be visually appealing.
Every image should support the content. This resonates with the message you are conveying.
Websites with high-quality images, especially for product pages, tend to have better conversion rates. Trustworthy, clear visuals reduce hesitation and encourage purchasing decisions.
You can make data-driven decisions about how to improve things by using Google Search Console and Google Analytics to track how well images are doing.
Use any tool to reveal key insights about images:
Page Load Time: Identify which images are slowing down your site and adjust or compress accordingly.
User Engagement: Track how users interact with image-heavy content to see which visuals attract the most attention.
Analyzing this data allows you to replace underperforming images, resize slow-loading ones, or include more engaging visuals.
Custom visuals, including infographics, tend to perform better than stock images.
These unique images help your content stand out and attract backlinks. Which boosts your SEO in the process.
Infographics are particularly engaging, as they combine visuals with valuable information.
Visualize Data: Infographics simplify complex information, making it digestible and shareable.
Enhance Branding: Custom graphics can reinforce brand identity and improve user recall.
According to HubSpot, infographics are 3x more likely to be shared than other types of content. This helps increase organic reach and engagement.
Image SEO is not a choice in 2024; it is a must for businesses that want to increase sales.
If you use these image SEO tips, you can get more visitors, give them a better experience, and eventually get more people to buy from you.
Every step of image SEO, from using structured data to reducing image file sizes and improving alt text, leads to a higher conversion rate.
Do not forget your images.
Your digital marketing strategy can benefit greatly from them if you optimize them correctly.
So start optimizing today and watch as your conversion rate improves over time.
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