Did you know how you post images on your site can help you get more traffic? And trust me, creative professionals can really rock the image use on their website.
Yes, some creative professions are more image-ready than others, such as artists, entertainers, chefs and the like … but even wordies (my newly made-up word for creative professionals who work with words) can benefit from images on their website.
Here are some tips for using images on your blog to attract more visitors and increase traffic.
Select images wisely.
Always use images that add or enhance the meaning of your words. Images attract the eye and if they are not related to the text, you will not only lose your visitor … you’ll lose your visitor’s respect (which is far worse).
Images creative professionals can use include images of their work, images of themselves involved with their work, or images that illustrate points made within the post.
Name your images strategically.
Use keywords in your image name that are related to the image. For example, an image of dog might be called “dog.jpg” or “swedish-valhund.jpg.”
Keep your file names simple, short and descriptive. For example, an image of your painting could be the name of your painting or the type of painting it is an example of.
Use the “alt” attribute in your image tags.
This attribute isn’t required for the image to show up clearly, but it is required for website usability. And, on top of that, it can give your website a search engine boost.
Let me explain. Google is now displaying image results when people search for information. So, you can use the alt tag to add key words and phrases to your web pages. In fact, adding the alt tag can enhance your on-page search engine optimization. But you need to use this tag wisely.
The alt attribute is an attribute of the “img” tag and was created as an alternative for non-visual browsers when they come across images. In other words, the text is meant to be used when the image is not visible on the page. Instead, what is displayed (or read) is the alternative text. In addition, many browsers display the alt text when the customer rests their mouse on the image.
Therefore, you don’t want to put a string of key words in the alt tag. You want that text to be easy to read and describe the image in some way.
Adding alt text is simple:
Some Quick Tips for Writing Alt Tags
Be Concise
An alt tag that is too long can be broken by some browsers. Also, if you try to stuff too many keywords in your alt tag, you’ll get penalized by Google. Basically, your alt tag text should include only those words that will help put the image in context — not be a full description of the image.
Be Clear
Of course, you don’t want to be so concise that your alt tag text has no meaning or is confusing. Remember, it is not only the search engines that will be reading your alt tag text, but real people, as well. For example:
- Dog – decent
- Swedish Valhund – Better
- Swedish Valhund with red scarf and a tilted head – probably a bit too much
Remember Context
Don’t describe the image if the image is part of the context. For example, the alt text for your company logo would be your company name … not “Company Name Logo”.
Disregard Non-Essential Page Elements
You don’t need to include alt tags for images that aren’t important for the context of the page, such as spacer images, bullets and the like.
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