Increase Search Visibility & Clicks by Utilizing Proper Images Online

Perhaps, no other medium influenced web searches and social media as much as smartphones. In fact, software began to be modified to be used on smartphones. A proof of this is when Google began to emphasize mobile search. Why is this important in the context of search visibility? The answer is because search results had to start using images to grab the viewer's attention. Contact us to learn more about increasing your search visibility.

Make It Organic 

Since the human eye is naturally drawn to an image, whenever a search is done online and an image is seen, the viewer is more likely to click on it. When this happens, it automatically becomes an organic search. However, there is a caveat to all of this, and it has to do with quality. The on-page quality also needs to be good, otherwise the click-through rates are going to be high while conversions are too low.  

Importance of Proper Images 

“A picture is worth a thousand words” as the old saying goes, but it is not enough to just use any picture. The quality has to be good and it shouldn’t look out of place. As far as adding pictures are concerned, follow Google's guidelines for image optimization for SEO. The basic rule is that every article should be accompanied by an image. Keep in mind that having a good image is not only about making the article look good. Newer algorithms used by search engines are capable figuring out relevant as well as good images. This in turn will affect search engine results; hence image SEO is an important technique to master. Three very important points to consider when selecting an image are:  

• Images should be original wherever you can manage it. This means images that you have created yourself, rather than stock images that you have pulled from online. If you are going to use someone else’s image, make sure they are credited for it. 
  
• Images must be relevant to the content. While should always use an image, it needs to fit, and not just be there for the sake of having a picture. 
  
• Images should be near the text they are relevant to, and if it’s possible, near the top of the page. There is a simple image SEO reason for this – an image with relevant text ranks better than the keyword it is optimized for. 
  

Other Images to Use 

When we talk images, our mind tends to go directly to photos, but there are alternatives out there if a photo doesn’t seem to fit quite right. You can use an illustration, a graph, or the ever-popular animated GIF. Even though we love them, be sure not to overuse GIFs. The movement can be distracting to readers, and they can slow down your page, which just annoys readers.  

Increase Your Visibility

 
Humans have always used images to communicate. Images are understood in all languages and by all literacy levels. While great text content is still very important to SEO, an image draws in users in a way that text just doesn’t. Images and fresh content come together to help you get on that coveted first page of Google. Contact us today to see how our local SEO services will boost your rankings and your online visibility.

Lynne Motkoski, Digital Marketing Strategist

Specialty: Digital Marketing Strategies
Education: MA Communications & Technology, BComm [U Alberta]
Author: The Online Marketing Handbook for Busy Entrepreneurs (coming soon)

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Lynne is known for her strategic approach to marketing communications, technologies, and lead generation. She has a passion for education, keeping up with current marketing trends and practices, and helping clients keep ahead of their competition.

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