You may have heard that the key to building a loyal online audience is producing consistent, high-quality content. While this still rings true, you should keep in mind that content without the perfect image(s) will probably go unnoticed. In our visual world, it’s essential to know how to choose the most effective images and understand the basics of presentation and tagging. Here, we share guidelines for selecting the best photos for the job and tips how to optimize images for search engines.
What to Look For In an Image
When you’re on the search for the perfect photo to include in a blog post or other shareable content, be sure to keep its intended purpose in mind. For example, the right image should capture the attention of viewers and compel them to stay engaged. For best results, choose a high-quality photo that establishes a topic and fits the subject matter of the post. Once you’ve established the photo’s role, look around for a great candidate online or create your own images. There are several sites that offer great stock photos, and many of these options allow you to modify the images as needed–just be sure to check the licensing before editing a photo.
Tips For Image Presentation
After you’ve found an eye-catching image to include with your article or blog post, it’s important to get the presentation right. Readers will appreciate a well-positioned photo, but good presentation is even more important for site optimization. Google rewards sites that load quickly, so you’ll want to choose an image of an appropriate size so it won’t slow down the page. According to the most recent Google guidelines, you should aim for an image to be at least 1200 pixels wide in .jpg, .png, or .gif format.
How to Tag Photos
Tagging photos helps search engines determine what the image contains, so tagging the photo with alt text is recommended. This practice doesn’t have to be complicated or in-depth: simply describe what’s in the image in a few words so both search engines and viewers will know what to expect. If the image fails to load, viewers will see the alt text in lieu of a photo. To learn more about creating alt text for images, take a look at this site.
To enhance your marketing strategy, be sure to include appealing images on your website and blog posts. If you’re busy handling other aspects of your business, our team can help streamline your tactical plan. We offer a variety of services tailored to your needs, and we’re happy to help you find the ideal fit for your brand. To start the process, please reach out to our team.