Image optimization plays an important role in on-page SEO, but one aspect that is often overlooked is optimizing the URL structure of images. Following these best practices will improve the visibility of your images in search engines and improve on-page optimization throughout your website.
Use meaningful file names
When naming your image files, use descriptive, relevant keywords that accurately describe what the image is about. Avoid using common names or random strings. For example, instead of using “IMG001.jpg” for a beach sunset image, use a descriptive name like “beach-vacation-sunset.jpg”. This not only helps search engines understand the context of the image, but it also improves the user experience by providing meaningful information in the URL.
Incorporate alt text in image URLs
Alt text is a required attribute that provides an alternative text description of the image. In addition to optimizing alt text to improve on-page SEO, you can also include relevant keywords in your image alt text. When adding alt text, make sure it accurately describes the image on the page and its purpose. Not only does this help visually impaired users understand your content, but it also tells search engines about the image’s relevance to the overall page content.
Use hyphens to separate words
When creating image URLs, it’s important to separate words with hyphens (‘-‘) rather than underscores (‘_’) or spaces. Search engines consider hyphens as word separators, improving the readability of URLs for both the user and the search engine’s crawlers. For example, instead of using “beachvacationsunset.jpg” or “beach_vacation_sunset.jpg”, use “beach-vacation-sunset.jpg” for better URL optimization.
Leverage relevant folder structures
Organizing your images into related folders and subfolders improves the overall structure and organization of your website. This is especially useful for e-commerce websites with large numbers of product images. For example, if you want to optimize images for different categories of clothing, create separate folders like “/images/clothing/dresses/” or “/images/clothing/t-shirts/.” This hierarchy helps search engines understand the relationships between different categories and improve navigation for users.
Compress and optimize image file size
Large image file sizes can negatively impact web page loading speed, create a poor user experience, and reduce search engine rankings. It is important to compress and optimize the size of image files without losing quality. Use tools and plugins to reduce image file size while maintaining visual integrity. This improves your website’s page loading speed and overall performance.
By implementing these image optimization strategies into your URL structure, you can enhance your website’s on-page SEO and increase the visibility of your images on search engine results pages. Remember that each aspect of on-page optimization, including URL structure, contributes to better search engine rankings and a better user experience.