Image SEO can drive a substantial amount of traffic in the right circumstances. And again, our thoughts regarding context are important here. <\/p>\n
Google does not (yet) use the content of images, so context within the site and the page and basic optimization are crucial here.<\/p>\n
As an example, I am looking for a hobbit-hole playhouse for my youngest, and the search brings up image results:<\/p>\n
\n<\/div>\n
I can dive right into those image results and find a multitude of options, then use the image to drive me to the site that sells the playhouse. <\/p>\n
Optimizing your images increases the chance of improving prominence in the image search results.<\/p>\n
Image optimization is technically straightforward:<\/p>\n
Provide an image name that clearly describes what the image is.<\/p>\n
Use descriptive alt text to help those who can\u2019t see the images reinforce the image content.<\/p>\n
Add OpenGraph and Twitter Cards so the image is used in social shares.<\/p>\n
Use the image at the right physical size to ensure fast downloads.<\/p>\n
Optimize the image\u2019s file size to improve loading times.<\/p>\n
Consider adding images to your XML sitemap.<\/p>\n
Image optimization is relatively simple. Keep the images relevant. Don\u2019t spam the filenames and alt text with keywords. Be descriptive.<\/p>\n
Pro tip: <\/strong>Use captions, titles and alt text to provide as much contextual information as possible about your images.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/span>Optimal optimization\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\nYou can always optimize something else, but if you structure and plan your site and then optimize these key areas, you will get 80% of the results from 20% of the effort.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Pro tip: <\/strong>Optimization is never complete, but there is a whole wide world out there, so focus on what moves the dial and then move on.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/span>3. Common problems<\/span><\/h2>\nKnowing what to optimize is essential and is the target we aim at.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It is just as important to understand common problems that impact SEO and use this as something to run away from!\u00a0<\/p>\n
Typically, every SEO project starts with an audit, and while we can\u2019t cover every eventuality here, the following are some key points.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Duplicate content<\/strong><\/p>\nThere tend to be two kinds of duplicate content: true duplicates and near-duplicates. <\/p>\n
True duplicates are where the content exists in multiple places (different pages, sites, subdomains and so on). <\/p>\n
Near-duplicates can be thin content or substantially similar content \u2013 think of a business with multiple locations or shoes listed on a unique page in different sizes.<\/p>\n
Keyword cannibalization<\/strong><\/p>\nKeyword cannibalization refers to the situation where multiple pages target the same keywords. This can impact the ability of your site to have one page that strongly targets a given term.<\/p>\n
Where the site architecture and hierarchy have been carefully planned, you should eliminate this during the planning and design stages.<\/p>\n
Domains, subdomains and protocols<\/strong><\/p>\nDuplication also crops up when the site is available on multiple domains, subdomains and protocols.<\/p>\n
Consider a business with two domains:<\/p>\n
Example.com<\/p>\n
Example.co.uk<\/p>\n
With www and non-www versions:<\/p>\n
Example.com<\/p>\n
Example.co.uk<\/p>\n
www.example.com<\/p>\n
www.example.co.uk<\/p>\n
And the site runs on HTTP and HTTPS:<\/p>\n
https:\/\/example.com<\/p>\n
https:\/\/example.co.uk<\/p>\n
https:\/\/www.example.com<\/p>\n
https:\/\/www.example.co.uk<\/p>\n
https:\/\/example.com<\/p>\n
https:\/\/example.co.uk<\/p>\n
https:\/\/www.example.com<\/p>\n
https:\/\/www.example.co.uk<\/p>\n
Before too long, we can get to a situation where the site has eight potential variations. Factor in the site resolving on any subdomain and a few duff internal links and we can often add things like \u201cww.example.com\u201d to the list above.<\/p>\n
These kinds of issues are resolved with URL redirections. <\/p>\n
Still, again, they deserve consideration by any web design agency that takes care of hosting and is serious about the SEO of their customers’ websites.<\/p>\n
Botched canonical URLs<\/strong><\/p>\nAnother common issue we see is an incorrect implementation of canonical URLs. <\/p>\n
Typically, the person building the site looks at canonical URLs as an SEO checklist kind of job. They are implemented by dynamically inserting the URL in the address bar into the canonical URL.<\/p>\n
This is fundamentally flawed in that we can end up with the site running on multiple URLs, each with a canonical URL claiming that they are the authoritative version. <\/p>\n
So the canonical implementation exacerbates rather than resolves the issue (sheesh).\u00a0<\/p>\n
Canonical URLs are a powerful tool when wielded wisely, yet they must be used properly, or they can worsen matters.<\/p>\n
<\/span>Modern web design considers SEO best practices\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\nSEO is not some band-aid you can plaster onto an existing site.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Every website developer or CMS will list SEO credentials. Nobody says that they build sites to crash in the search results. SEO, today and beyond, is way more than a dry list of technical must-haves.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Like all good marketing, it is ultimately about helping your prospective customers achieve