5 Crucial Image SEO Tips

If you’re not on the first page of Google for your target keywords, your website might as well not exist.

That may appear harsh, but according to Hubspot, 75% of users never scroll past the first page of search results, making it critical that you rank on Google’s first page.

There are techniques you can use on your website to help it rank higher in search engines. However, if the fundamentals are not in place, you have a very slim chance of appearing on Google’s first page.

By ensuring that your website adheres to SEO best practices, you will be preparing it for increased visibility in search results.

After you’ve laid the groundwork, you can move on to more advanced keyword research and link-building strategies.

In this article, we will discuss some SEO best practices that you should use to improve your search rankings.

Contents:

1. What is SEO
2. Write strong meta titles & descriptions
3. Include keywords in your URL
4. Optimise your images
5. Use internal linking
6. Align your content with search intent

1. What is SEO

I wanted to provide a brief overview of SEO for those of you who are new to the world of SEO. Everyone else is free to proceed to the next section.

SEO is an abbreviation for Search Engine Optimisation, which Moz defines as “the practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search engine results.”

Simply put, it refers to the process of improving your website in order to increase its visibility in relevant searches. The higher the visibility of your pages in search results, the more likely you are to attract attention and attract new and existing customers to your company.

2. Write strong meta titles and descriptions

Two of the most important tags on your page are the page title and meta description.

Title Tags

Title tags are the clickable headlines that appear in search results and are essential for providing visitors with a quick overview.

“Titles are critical to giving users a quick insight into the content of a result and why it’s relevant to their query,” according to Google. Because it is frequently the primary piece of information used to determine which result to click on, it is critical to use high-quality titles on your web pages.”

The first 50-60 characters of a page’s title are displayed by search engines. Google displays your page’s full title as long as you keep the title length under 60 characters.

Here are some best practices to remember when creating title tags:

• Include target keywords.
• Write titles to match search intent.
• Avoid duplicate title tags.
• Avoid keyword stuffing.
• Keep it descriptive but concise.

Meta Descriptions

On search engine results pages, the meta description is a brief summary of a page that appears below the title tag (SERPs).

Although meta descriptions have no direct impact on search rankings, they can influence click-through rates.

According to Google, “a meta description tag should generally inform and interest users with a short, relevant summary of what a particular page is about.” They act as a sales pitch, persuading the user that the page is exactly what they’re looking for.”

Because Google truncates meta descriptions to 155–160 characters, it is critical that you provide an accurate and concise summary of your content in less than 160 characters.

Here are some best practices to remember when writing your meta descriptions:

• Write unique meta descriptions for each page.
• Use action-oriented copy.
• Include target keywords.
• Match search intent.
• Provide an accurate summary.

3. Include keywords in your URL

Your website’s URL structure is an often overlooked area of SEO. Good URL structure provides both users and searches engines insight into what the destination page is all about.

Google says that:

“A site’s URL structure should be as simple as possible. Consider organizing your content so that URLs are constructed logically and in a manner that is most intelligible to humans (when possible, readable words rather than long ID numbers).”

Here is how you can create a well-structured URL:

• Use short URLs: According to a Backlinko study, short URLs outperform long URLs in SERPs.
• Use keyword-rich URLs: To improve your chances of ranking higher in search results, always include your target keywords in the URL.
• Remove unnecessary stop words: Consider removing stop words from your URL to make it look cleaner and more concise.

4. Optimise your images

Images on a website are critical to the user experience and visual appeal. You most likely spend a significant amount of time selecting the appropriate images to enhance your content.

Do you, on the other hand, spend time optimizing your images?

Images, when used correctly, can improve your site’s SEO and increase organic traffic.

Here are a few things you can do to improve the quality of your images:

• Choose the best file format
  PNG, JPEG, and GIF are all popular file formats. Each has advantages. For images with a lot of colour, we recommend JPEG, and for simple images, we recommend PNG.
• Compress your images
  The larger the file size of your image, the longer it takes for the web page to load, which is why you must compress your images.
• Optimise image file names
  The file name you use is critical for your page’s SEO and ranking in image search results. Files should be labeled with relevant, descriptive keywords.
• Provide alt text
  Adding alt text to images improves web accessibility and assists browsers in better understanding the subject matter of the images on your site.
• Lazy-load your images
  Lazy loading postpones the loading of non-critical resources at the time of page load. Instead, images are loaded only when they are required by the user.

5. Use internal linking

Internal links are important because they help Google understand the content on your page and establish a hierarchy for your website. When used correctly, internal links can significantly boost your rankings.

Internal links from high-ranking pages to low-ranking pages are an SEO best practice.

6. Align your content with search intent

The goal of every search query is to find something. Google’s top priority is to understand search intent. Pages ranking on Google’s first page pass the search intent test.

If you want to rank your site on Google’s first page, you must understand the concept of search intent and create content that matches user intent.

There are four different types of search intent:

1. Informational: When a user is looking for specific information, he or she will conduct a search. It could be a simple search like “what’s the weather today?” that yields immediate results, or something more complex like “best SEO strategies,” which necessitates a more detailed explanation.
2. Navigational: The searcher wants to find a specific website or app. “Facebook login,” “BBC News,” and “Amazon” are common examples of navigational searches.
3. Commercial: When a user is looking for a particular product but has not made a final decision. Commercial searches include phrases like “best laptops” and “best DSLR cameras.” 
4. Transactional: The intention is to buy in this case. The searcher has decided to purchase a specific product or tool. Searches such as “buy MacBook Pro” or “buy wool online” are examples.

When creating content for your website, it’s a good idea to keep search intent in mind at all times.

If you want to rank for the keywords “best gaming laptops,” you must understand that the search intent is commercial rather than transactional. The user is still unsure about which laptop to buy.

It is pointless to optimize your landing page with those specific keywords. When users search for “best gaming laptops,” Google understands what they are looking for: options, blog posts, or videos listing the best gaming laptops, not product pages or eCommerce websites.

Essentially, you must create content that corresponds to your target audience’s search intent.

Rounding up

The practises outlined above are a great place to start if you want to improve your search rankings.

The competition for appearing on Google’s first page is fierce, regardless of the niche you’re in.

Once you have the best practises in place, make sure you stay up to date on the latest trends and use other SEO techniques on a regular basis to stay ahead of the game.