How to optimize images for SEO in ExpressionEngine?

@laverna_hirthe 

Optimizing images for SEO in ExpressionEngine involves several steps to ensure that your images load quickly and are search engine friendly. Here’s a guide to help you optimize images within this CMS:

1. Use Descriptive File Names:

• Rename your image files to include relevant keywords before uploading them. Use hyphens to separate words for better readability by search engines (e.g., red-apple.jpg).

2. Choose the Right File Type:

• Use appropriate file types like JPEG for photographs, PNG for images with transparency, and SVG for vector graphics to maintain quality while minimizing file size.

3. Compress Images:

• Optimize images to reduce file size without sacrificing quality. You can use tools like TinyPNG or JPEGmini before uploading.
• Consider using ExpressionEngine add-ons that automatically compress images upon upload.

4. Set Proper Image Dimensions:

• Scale images to the exact size they will be displayed on your website to avoid unnecessary loading of larger images.

5. Leverage Responsive Images:

• Utilize srcset and sizes attributes in tags to serve different images to different devices, ensuring the best fit and performance.

6. Add Alt Text:

• Always include descriptive alt text for each image. This not only provides context for search engines but also improves accessibility for visually impaired users (e.g., alt="A fresh red apple on a wooden table").

7. Utilize Image Titles and Captions:

• While not as crucial as alt text, providing a title for images can offer additional context.
• Use captions when appropriate to add explanatory text that enhances the understanding of the image.

8. Enable Lazy Loading:

• Implement lazy loading to delay the loading of images until they are about to appear in the viewport. This can improve initial load time and overall performance.
• This can be done either through custom JavaScript or using ExpressionEngine add-ons that support lazy loading.

9. Optimize Image Delivery:

• Consider using a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to serve images from a location closer to your users, which can significantly improve loading times.

10. Organize Your Images:

• Maintain a clean and organized folder structure in the ExpressionEngine file manager for easy navigation and management.

11. Implement Structured Data:

• Use structured data like Schema.org to add metadata to your images. This can enhance search engine understanding and potentially increase visibility in image search.

12. Keep Alt Text and Images Relevant:

• Ensure that the images you use are relevant to your content, and the alt text accurately reflects the image content and is pertinent to the surrounding text.

By following these steps, you can effectively optimize images in ExpressionEngine for improved SEO, enhancing both site performance and search visibility.