It is said, “a picture is worth a thousand words”. But online, a picture can be worth a thousand kilobytes or more!
Considering this, image optimization is the key, especially taking into account that many users will abandon a request if it doesn’t load within a few seconds.
High bounce rates are unfavorable to online businesses, and as responsible web developers, it’s your job (or OUR JOB!) to make sure that a website isn’t just loading but adding speed as a feature to the website.
If a developer isn’t careful about optimizing images correctly then they could easily add megabytes of data to their webpage. Image SEO starts with the file name; You need Google to know what the image is about without even looking at it, so use your focus keyword in the image file name.
Choosing the right image format plays a huge role in image optimization. 3 common formats are supported across the web: PNG, GIF, and JPEG.
Choose the Right Image Format.
As for images, the right format doesn’t quite exist; it depends on the type of image and how you want to use it.
Pick JPEG for larger photos or illustrations: it will give you good results in terms of colors and clarity with a comparatively small file size;
Use PNG if you want to keep background transparency;
Use WebP instead of JPEG and PNG, if you want both;
It will produce high-quality results with smaller file sizes. You can use tools like Squoosh to convert your image into WebP.
Use SVG for logos and icons. With the help of CSS or JavaScript, you can manage images in SVG format, for instance, resize them without losing quality.
After getting the right name and format, it’s time to resize and optimize your image!
Loading times are important for SEO.
The faster the site, the easier it is to visit and index a page. Images can have a big effect on loading times, especially when you upload a huge image then display it small.
Our WordPress installs help by automatically providing the image in multiple sizes after upload.
