Google is testing a new tool for recognizing image content, so SEO specialists are in for big changes. Currently, the search engine studies images based on the file name, registered Title, and Alt tags, and in the future, it will learn to recognize their content on its own.
In a new article, we will tell you how to optimize images now, how the new service from Google works, and what changes site promotion in search engines await SEO specialists in the future.
Why is image optimization important?
Optimizing images is just as important as text: they increase site traffic and sales. For example, when a user searches Google for an image of the sofa of their dreams, they end up (if the image is in the TOP, the probability is higher) on a photo of your company's sofa, go to the site, and buy it.
Image search does not always increase sales. Often users google images to place them on their resource (website, blog, or as an element of an advertising campaign). Even with user-intended "stealing" of images, your site will receive additional search traffic, clicks, and an increase in behavioral factors, and will be better ranked by the search engine.
How to optimize images in Google
The image optimization process includes 6 steps.
Use only original images
No drains and copying images from other sites. Google loves unique and original images. Their uniqueness is as easy to check as the uniqueness of text - there are special services that identify plagiarism. For example, you can use the Tineye service.
Images should match the content of the pages. If you take images from the Internet, be sure to check the copyright. You can also set up a "Usage Rights" filter in Google Images to exclude images that are protected by copyright from the search.
Optimize image size and weight
Heavy images increase site loading time and negatively affect site rankings. You can check your site loading speed and identify images that are too heavy in Google Page Speed Insights.
After analyzing the images on your site, you can compress them (compress without losing quality). For automatic image compression on WordPress, you can use, for example, the Smush plugin. In other cases, you can use online image compression services or manually resave them in Adobe Photoshop (from JPEG to PNG).
Change image names
This is one of the most common mistakes - naming images randomly or leaving the camera numbering (for example, DSC3432.jpg).
The search engine takes into account the name of the photo, so it is advisable to give them thematic names. Even better - use a keyword phrase. For example, if the photo shows the Eiffel Tower, the name should be Ejfeleva-vezha, not DSC3432.
Optimize metadata (EXIF data)
Each photo contains EXIF data by default. This is metadata that is stored in the file and is automatically generated by the device on which it was taken. This is information about camera settings, exposure, aperture settings, date, and author of the photo.
EXIF data metadata affects the ranking of the site. You can add it yourself using special software. Check the metadata before uploading it to the server.
Add Title and Alt attributes
Write the attributes in the HTML code in the tag. They must be unique for each image.
About the Alt attribute. The full name of the attribute is “Alternative”. It serves as a description of the image and displays text if the image does not load for some reason. The text of the attribute is indexed and affects the ranking of the site.
About the Title attribute. This is the text title of the image. The Title and Alt attributes must be different.
Add captions under images
Google takes captions around photos into account. Their presence is another plus for ranking. If there are a few images on the page, you won’t notice the difference, but if there are dozens of them, captions are a must.
Create an XML image map
An XML map opens up access to indexing site images. Typically, experts create two site maps: one for images, and the other for articles.
An XML map is not required, but it is an additional plus when ranking a site in Google.
What will change in SEO image optimization
SEO specialists are waiting for changes: Google is already testing a new service that uses artificial intelligence to determine the content of an image.
The new service Drag and drop can be tested today.
How the service works
Even in test mode, the service provides extensive capabilities. We take an image (the size should not exceed 4 MB) and upload it to the Cloud Vision API.
The service analyzes images in 6 tabs:
1. Faces (Faces). Artificial intelligence (hereinafter referred to as AI) determines a person's face and his emotions: how happy he is, what condition his head is in, and whether he is wearing a hat.
For example, we uploaded an image with a cat on the coast. AI did not recognize the face, so the service shows only 5 tabs.
2. Objects (Objects). The service determines what exactly is depicted in the picture. The service is 66% sure that this is an animal, and 83% sure that it is a cat.
2. Labels. Here you can see what secondary objects the AI has identified. The service has recognized clouds, water, horizon, etc.
3. Web Entities. The service shows words from the Internet that are related to the image.
4. Properties. Here you can see the color scheme that is in the image.
5. Safe Search. The service analyzes the content of the image: there are no shocking or defamatory materials (racism, pornography, cruelty).
In our case, the image is safe to view. The only thing is that AI does not exclude that the photo is unnatural (and it is: the cat on the beach looks unusual).
Conclusions
While the service is in test mode, it is difficult to say how the SEO optimization of images will change. The main thing is that today it is already able to decompose the image into components and fully analyze it.
Only one thing can be said for sure: the search engine is becoming smarter, so Alt and Title tags will soon not be key in optimization. In the future, artificial intelligence will recognize and optimize images.
If you don't want to keep up with all the changes in image optimization and other aspects of website promotion, contact our Digital Agency, we can take care of your project.
