google implementation by Universal Search has changed the entire search landscape and resolved the often debated SEO issue of whether using ALT text and keywords in image file names have any effect on rankings. In two words, they do.
For those who don’t know what universal search is, Google now combines search results from all of its search properties: web pages, images, books, videos, etc. Where a Google search used to return an HTML results page, now you’ll get all of the above. This means everything Your site needs to be optimized these days, not just your web pages.
So, as a continuation of my original SEO 101 article, here are some tips for getting the most out of your site’s images.
1. Context is extremely important. Images can be categorized based on what surrounds them on the page. Pay attention to the text of keywords, headings, etc. in the page. Image-only sites generally only work well if you are dealing with a well-known brand or product. Otherwise, you need keyword-enriched text.
2. The text of the URL content is also important. The text of your URL is considered part of the context surrounding the image. The domain name, directory name, and file name of the image (name it with keywords) are taken into account for relevance.
3. Use subtitles if possible. Take a tip from newspaper photos and place keyword-rich captions with your images. Make the text good, quality content, not keyword spam.
4. The right type of image is crucial. Make absolutely sure that your photos are .jpg and not .gif. The .jpg format is standard for photographs, while the .gif format is typically used for graphic images.
5. Images can affect reputation management. Unflattering images can do you a lot of harm. Optimizing your images can help remove any images that you prefer not to be seen by the public on the results pages.
6. Create a sitemap image feed. Just like with web pages, search engines can follow a sitemap that you create with the images you want to crawl.
7. Use descriptive alt text. Search optimizers used to debate whether ALT text had any influence on rankings. That debate is over. Optimize your images using descriptive keyword-rich ALT text. Do not fill in the ALT attribute. Keep it short and to the point. Keyword-rich ALT text for your images could be the tie-breaker for who gets the top spot, so always use it.
8. Use the word “image” or “photo” in your alt text. Some search engines use those words when searching for images.
9. Tag images with your brand or URL. This will capture some of the home page traffic for you. Watermark images or just add your URL somewhere.
10. Use high-quality images. Single images with good contrast tend to be the best.
11. Add photos to Google Maps. Enhance your Google Maps listing with photos and images. These can influence visitors who find you via local search etc.
12. Post images on Flickr. Open a Flickr account and post unique photos to your account. Basically, each photo you upload is its own web page with a title, description, and tags. You can include a link to your site and share the photos with other Flickr users and social sites.
13. Use Feedburner. I know this may sound strange since Feedburner is for RSS feeds, but if you manage your RSS feed through this free service owned by Google, you can also have images you post to your Flickr account included in email updates that are sent to you. send to email subscribers from your RSS feed. This is all set up in your Feedburner account manager.