SEO for Images and Files: Best Optimization Practices
In order to maximize the performance of the digital projects entrusted to us, it is imperative to ensure correct and strategic dissemination of these materials. It is therefore crucial that we follow the basic naming guidelines for optimization, known as “ SEO for images or files ”.In this article, we will cover fundamental social media marketing service topics such as “How to correctly name images to improve SEO” and “the importance of file names for SEO and Google”. These practices, when applied correctly, have the potential to significantly improve the optimization of websites, ensuring proper recognition in the vast digital universe.
Optimizing files and images isn't just about reducing their size or weight. It's important to rename files strategically!
How to correctly name files to improve image SEO?
The correct naming of images (or any other file that will be made available on the website) becomes a fundamental tool for the optimization and visibility of content on websites, hotsites, blogs and portals. To ensure that each file communicates effectively and is correctly disseminated, consider the following guidelines:
Relevance in Naming: Before uploading any file, it is essential to rename it strategically. The name should reflect the content of the image (or file), incorporating relevant keywords that are targeted by Google searches. This simple action can dramatically increase the visibility of your website in search engines.
Avoid Special Characters: Keep your naming conventions clean and understandable. Special characters, such as accents or symbols, may not be recognized by some systems, leading to unwanted errors, such as the dreaded 404 error. In addition, white spaces in file names are also not recommended, as they can result in broken URLs, making the document inaccessible.
Using the Single Dash “-”: The single dash is not only a universally accepted “special” character, but it is also the most recommended choice for replacing whitespace in filenames. By using the “-”, you ensure a friendly URL structure, both for servers and for users who will be searching for your content.
By following these basic principles, you will not only be optimizing the visibility of your content in the vast digital universe, but you will also ensure a more fluid and intuitive browsing experience for your website visitors. In SEO, it’s the details that make all the difference.
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Correct image size is another relevant optimization factor for Google.
Think about it, if I have a 10×15 cm photo frame, would it be okay to put a 50×60 cm image inside it? Not at all…
On the internet, we should think the same way! Although most websites' systems try to "reduce" the image to fit the format displayed on the website, the correct thing to do is to upload the image as close as possible to the size it will be seen by the user.
This practice makes the image lighter and loading much faster!
The only exception is when we have a website that requires zooming, such as e-commerce sites and photographers' websites. However, even on these sites, when you think of a “zoomed image” you should actually think of 2 images: the small image and the zoomed image. In other words, in the place where the small image will be displayed, you should upload a small image file. In the zoomed area, you should upload the zoomed image. Do you get the idea?
WebP Image Extension and Weight
Today, images can be increasingly “compressed” through optimization processes and still maintain visual quality.
To replace most of the previous images that used the JPG, PNG or GIF format, a new, more modern image extension has emerged called webp .
Just like PNG, the WebP extension can also be used with transparent backgrounds, but it has a much better file compression method than PNG. That's why it's highly recommended by Google and us, SEO experts.
To transform your images into webp, there are several ways and WordPress plugins that promise to do this in a “massive” and automatic way, but… there is always a “but”… this takes away control of the image quality.
“Automatic” tools usually allow you to define a specific configuration that will be used in all images. This way, one image may look good, another may look bad, as we know that the necessary parameters vary from image to image, due to the amount of colors, details and other scenes.
Our recommendation for WebP files:
At our agency The Key SEO, we strongly recommend that you do webp compression manually, image by image, without using plugins.
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