Keeping up with all the latest SEO (Search Engine Optimization) tips and tricks can feel overwhelming at times, especially to someone who is trying to simply keep their own website updated with current and strategic content. And while there are a million little ways that factoring in SEO tips will help you keep your website right where you want it (hint: Google page 1), there is one little tip that is *key* and often overlooked, or at the very least, under-utilized. 

What is it, you ask? Accurately titling your graphics. {you: Really? That's it?}

Yep. This one step can really help you level up your Google game and it literally only takes 5-30 minutes, depending on how many photos you have on your website. Now, there are a few things to consider when you get started. 

Keep your photo titles short and concise

A good rule is to aim for 5-9 words at most. What should you try to include in those 5-9 words? I'm glad you asked!

• The obvious: describe the photo. Who is it? What are they doing? The point of titling your photo is not SEO. The whole point is to help the reader, who may not see the photo (for a number of reasons) know what they are missing. SEO is just the bonus!

• The location: if possible, try to work this in. City, State, or county if you're in a rural area where counties are used more often.

• For the file name, include a dash or underscore between words. For example, if your photo will be named desktop computer wallpaper, use the file name: desktop-computer-wallpaper. When the search engine shows the file name to someone, it will be easy for them (and a screen reader) to read.

• Keywords: Let's expand on that in #3

How to use keywords in your photo names

Keywords are those words that you *think* people are searching for when they are interested in trying to find you -  your service type, industry, etc. Now, a little side tangent here - you don't have to guess about keywords! If you're using Squarespace's nifty Analytics, you'll know exactly what people are searching to find you. Or, if you're using Google Analytics, you'll get the same type of information.

When using your keywords in your photo titles, don't overdo them. Google is smart. If they figure out you're just putting random words in there to cheat the system, it will have the opposite effect. Be sure the keywords you choose to include are relevant to your photo. 

Squarespace also offers another option - the Alt Text field - that is also valuable for first serving your reader and then serving the search engine.

Name your photos before you upload them.

It is much easier to name your photos before you upload them to your website. While some website platforms let you rename the photos once they are uploaded, it’s quite time-consuming. Save yourself the headaches and name them first. Plus, this will make them really easy to find when you’re searching your photo library.

And don’t forget to optimize them! Optimizing your photos for the web will result in faster load times and a better user experience and send a signal to search engines that your website is ready and welcome for visitors.

If you’re stuck on what to name your photos, think about how you would describe the photo to a friend if they couldn’t see the image. Depending on your industry, your naming technique may vary in length, tone, and descriptive quality. For example, if you own a restaurant, your images may be named simply after the food they represent. However, the photos might be a bit more complex to explain if you’re in a service-based industry like the legal field. It’s always smart to work with someone in your industry on SEO, even for something as simple as photo optimization. For example, if you’re in the legal field, check out Dagmar Marketing law firm SEO tips to learn more. If you’re in another industry, seek out an expert in your area of expertise.

A few more SEO best practices:

• If the idea of using SEO to grow your visibility overwhelms you and you’re not sure where to start, consider working with SEO professionals like FATJOE SEO services to improve your search rankings and boost your online visibility. 

• Always use a Heading 1 at the top of each page of your website and limit the use of H1s to just once per page. This way, search engines know exactly what your page is about. Inside of each heading 1, try to tell the reader what the page is about and incorporate a keyword or two.

• Use SEO-Friendly URLs — there’s no need to name your pages with extra long page titles that result in a really long, ugly URL. Boil down the name of the page to just the necessary words and ensure the URL matches.

• Writing SEO descriptions and meta-descriptions is a good investment of your time. It may be seem cumbersome to write descriptions for every page but taking advantage of this tool can mean the difference in someone finding your site or finding your competitor. Some great tools like Frase will even help you generate titles as a starting point.

SEO is a long game, and anyone who tells you to expect overnight success is lying. Combining a solid content strategy, SEO best practices, and your own authentic point of view is a great plan to get your website the visibility it deserves.

Until next time,

Andrea