Why is image SEO worth the effort?
Optimizing images drove 7,000+ visits and 241,000+ impressions with a 2.9% click-through rate, yet many sites leave file names untouched and alt text blank. Descriptive images also improve page and site performance and relevance.
Discovery through image search is a real channel, and alt text that describes every image makes pages more relevant to Google without heavy effort.
How should image file names be written before uploading?
Replace default names like image_9283.jpeg with descriptive, keyword-based names using dashes between words, such as best-seo-wins.webp. Remen rates this importance 20 out of 100.
A more advanced naming scheme uses the subfolder, an underscore, the URL slug of the page, another underscore, and then a descriptive file name, with dashes replacing every space.
Does image compression matter, and what format is best?
Compression is rated 70 out of 100 in importance. Large images slow down a website, while compressed images load faster and improve SEO, with the WEBP format offering a bonus in loading speed.
Any compression tool works; searching for a PNG-to-WEBP converter is enough, and the host uses CloudConvert so frequently that Google flags it as a commonly visited site.
What makes good alt text, and how can AI help write it?
Alt text helps Google understand the image, so it should be detailed and contextual rather than a bare keyword; Remen rates adding keywords here 100 out of 100. One workflow is to paste the full page content into ChatGPT or Claude along with the file names and ask it to generate alt text for each image.
The file names act as a prompt for what the AI should expand on, combining what is shown in the images with the surrounding article content to produce richer alt text.
Should stock photos be used, or original images?
Google prefers unique images over stock photos, so custom screenshots, charts, and graphics work best. A home services business should use photos taken on the job and of its team, and a SaaS should show actual product screenshots instead of generic stock or abstract AI images.
Adding emojis to screenshots can make them more contextual to the page content.
Is it useful to upload separate images for pages that share visuals?
For bottom-of-funnel SEO landing pages, the host uploads images for each page even when reusing the same visuals, so file names can be contextual to each page. This also sidesteps CMS plugins that would otherwise be needed for per-page alt text.
Where should images be placed on a page?
Place images near related headings and paragraphs, because Google uses surrounding text to understand images. Remen rates this importance 40 out of 100.
Can a dedicated photos page improve visibility in Google Images?
Yes. The host built a photos-of-Edward-Sturm page with descriptive alt text, captions, a clear page title, URL, and H1 so that his own photos rank in Google Images instead of images of other people with the same name, while also controlling his brand narrative.
People who find the page through the podcast or social media then explore the site and see the story behind the photos, so the page serves both search and audience purposes.
What is the full checklist, in short?
Rename image files descriptively, compress images (ideally to WEBP), write detailed alt text, use original images instead of stock, and place images near relevant text. The host frames these as quick, easy tasks that produce many small wins.