Optimizing your images for SEO has been an important step for on-site optimization for awhile now. The question now is, is it still important to optimize your photos even though there are so many other ways to optimize your website? The answer is yes. All photos on your website should be optimized whether or not it’s in a post, a header or footer, or a featured image.
For Image Searches
Image search results are typically aren’t given a second though, but they should be a priority just as web search result rankings are. When you format and title your images with phrases relevant to the image itself, you’ll have a better chance of your image coming up in an image search or as a related image. There is a lot to gain from image optimization, including an opportunity for a large increase in visits to your website.
For Site Speed
When image files are large, the browser needs to take the time to download the large file, causing the page to load at a slower time By formatting your images for the web and to the correct size, you speed up the time it takes the user to access your website, thus improving the user experience. This is also an important ranking factor! Be sure to check your site speed regularly so you can make any necessary changes.
For Loading Issues
Sometimes the Internet doesn’t work or it’s a little slower than a user expects it to be. In this case, a site might have trouble downloading an image causing them to see blank space where the image would be. If you have included alt text on your image, inside of the blank space where your image would be, the user will see the description of the photo.