Starting a Business | SEO & Google

Using Images Correctly

No matter how pretty a picture, Google can't see it. It can only see the image's filename and if that says something like 'logo.jpg' you've got your work cut out...

Toytopia case study

If you run an e-commerce store you need to pay more attention than most as to how images are named. Ensure that every image is named to promote the site and the product to Google rather than just offering a random alphanumeric filename. At Toytopia we had a lot of success with wheeliebugs and we carried five different types, each available in two different sizes. Rather than naming them 'wheelie1.jpg' through to 'wheelie10.jpg' part of the success of the site was due in part to the naming of files. For example, we used 'wheeliebug-ride-on-toy-mouse-large.jpg'.

Not only is this Google-friendly, it made it a lot easier for me to find a specific image within the images folder. When you are carrying hundreds if not thousands of products, you'll be pleased you spent a few extra seconds naming each image file correctly. Remember the text that makes up the image name is adding to the keywords being found on the page. You've mentioned the product a couple of times in your copy, there's a navigational link and it's reinforced within the filename of the image - Google's beginning to get all dewy-eyed about your site and that means a good positioning on the search results.

Again, taking the example above, 'logo.jpg' is not doing you any favours. Reinforce your brand, your product/s, your purpose with something like this: 'Toytopia_online_wooden_toys_logo.jpg'.

Oh! Big boy...

If you're responsible for uploading images to your site be aware of the resolution. If you want to print a digital image then high-res is critical, but for the web 72 dots per inch (DPI) is all you require. Any more is wasted information that computer monitors can't process - big images slow down sites and annoy users. Most image editing software now offers a tool to alter the resolution of an image. Use it.

Here's an idea for you

If you run a site where a number of members of staff are adding content, it's time to write a policy or house rules document outlining the procedure for doing this. Even if you're a one man band, this is still an important exercise, as it will allow you to check all of the existing content and ensure it's optimised for Google. House style can be as simple as ensuring that paragraphs of text are broken up with the paragraph (<P>) command rather than a break (<BR>), right up to a detailed guide on how to name images, use H tags and ensure good keyword proximity at the top of the copy rather than the bottom.


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