3 Simple ways to increase your Google ranking through your images

Do you use Google Images? I do! All the time.

As you know, images are a very powerful way to get your message across, especially if you sell a physical product or work in the tourism industry. Great images and fresh new images will keep your website or social media posts interesting to your audience.

Here are 3 ways to improve your Google ranking through images:
1. Optimise images for your website by:

• Reducing the file size to around 100kb – this way it loads fast. If you have very large image files, you’ll lose a lot of traffic. And Google will put you to the back of the queue too!
• Save the image with a description (rather than a number), for example a photo of the outside of a hotel should could have a description: Hotel ABC, Queenstown New Zealand.
  

2. When you upload your images to your website do the following:

• Add an ‘alt-tag’. This is a description of the photo (including relevant keywords). When you hover your mouse over the images, the ‘alt-tag’ appears. If images are turned off on someones PC or mobile device, the ‘alt-tag’ will still be visible.
• Add a caption to the photo too! A caption usually is usually placed below the photo.
• If relevant, add a link onto the image to another page within your site. (Google links internal links too!)

3. Add images to your google places listing.
That’s the listing that appears on the right hand side of the google search. (if you haven’t set up your google my business listing, go to: https://www.google.com/business/ ).
You can simply add images by clicking: "Add a photo" at the bottom right of your listing
Google will send you an update every few months on the performance of your images.

Google places listing - at the bottom right, you can click "Add a photo"

..and this is the Google image report