When I first started blogging, I made a big mistake. I’d upload images without a second thought, big, bulky files with no optimization.
Sure, they looked great, but they also slowed my blog down to a crawl. Not to mention, I completely overlooked adding alt text, which meant I wasn’t giving my blog the SEO boost it needed.
Fast forward to now, and I’ve learned how to make images work for me instead of against me.
So, today, I’m going to share everything I’ve learned about optimizing image file sizes and using alt text effectively.
By the end of this post, you’ll have all the tools you need to take your blog to the next level. Let’s dive in!
Why Optimizing Images Is a Big Deal
Let’s start with the why. Optimizing your images isn’t just about making your blog faster (though that’s a huge plus). It also:
- Improves your user experience (who wants to wait for a slow-loading page?).
- Helps with your blog’s SEO ranking (Google loves fast websites).
- Saves storage space on your hosting plan.
- Makes your blog look more professional.
So, if you’re ignoring this step, you’re leaving a lot of opportunities on the table.
Step 1: Compress Your Images Without Losing Quality
Here’s the deal: Large image files can slow your site down, but shrinking them manually can feel like a chore. Luckily, there are tools that make this process super easy.
Tools I Use to Compress Images:
- TinyPNG: This is my go-to for compressing PNG and JPG files. It’s fast, free (for most use cases), and doesn’t compromise on quality.
- ShortPixel or Smush (WordPress Plugins): These are lifesavers if you’re on WordPress. They optimize images automatically as you upload them.
- Adobe Photoshop: If you’re familiar with Photoshop, you can use the “Save for Web” feature to reduce file sizes.
Pro Tip: Always aim for images under 200 KB. If you can get them smaller without losing quality, even better!
Step 2: Choose the Right File Format
Not all image formats are created equal. Here’s a quick breakdown:
- JPEG: Best for photos and images with lots of colors.
- PNG: Perfect for images with transparency (like logos).
- WebP: A newer format that combines small file sizes with great quality. Most modern browsers support it, and WordPress makes it easy to upload these.
When I switched my blog’s images to WebP format, I noticed an immediate improvement in page load times.
Step 3: Resize Images to Fit Your Blog Layout
Here’s something I see a lot of new bloggers get wrong: uploading massive images and then relying on their website to resize them. This wastes bandwidth and slows things down.
Instead, figure out the exact dimensions you need for your blog (e.g., 1200px width for featured images) and resize them before uploading. You can use free tools like Canva, GIMP, or even your computer’s built-in photo editor to do this.
Step 4: Don’t Skip Alt Text
Alt text, short for “alternative text,” is a written description of an image that gets added to the HTML code of your website. It serves two primary purposes:
- Accessibility: Alt text makes your website more inclusive for visually impaired users. Screen readers rely on alt text to describe images, helping users understand the content.
- SEO: Search engines use alt text to understand what’s in your images. This helps improve your site’s ranking in search results, especially if the alt text includes relevant keywords.
Why Alt Text Matters
Imagine visiting a website, and some images don’t load due to a slow connection. Instead of staring at blank spaces, alt text provides context, telling you what those images are supposed to show.
Plus, search engines like Google can’t “see” images the way we do. They rely on alt text to determine whether an image is relevant to the content and search queries.
Without it, you’re missing out on an opportunity to rank higher in image search results.
How to Write Alt Text That Works
Writing effective alt text isn’t rocket science, but there are some best practices to follow:
- Be Descriptive: Describe what’s in the image as clearly as possible.
- Example: Instead of “dog,” use “Golden Retriever sitting on a green lawn.”
- Keep It Concise: Aim for 1–2 sentences max. There’s no need to write a novel, but don’t be so vague that it’s meaningless.
- Use Keywords (But Don’t Overdo It): If the image is relevant to a specific topic, include keywords naturally.
- Example: For a blog about “best travel destinations,” an alt text like “sunset over Santorini’s white-washed buildings” works better than “beautiful sunset.”
- Avoid “Image of” or “Picture of”: Screen readers already announce that it’s an image, so you don’t need to repeat it.
- Context Matters: Write alt text based on the image’s role in your content. For decorative images, it’s okay to leave the alt text blank (use
alt=""), but always include it for meaningful visuals.
Alt Text Examples
Here’s a quick look at good vs. bad alt text:
- Bad Alt Text: “Image of a car.”
- Good Alt Text: “Red sports car driving down a winding mountain road.”
- Bad Alt Text: “Photo of laptop.”
- Good Alt Text: “Open laptop displaying a WordPress blog dashboard.
Adding Alt Text in WordPress
If you’re on WordPress (which I know many of you are), adding alt text is super easy:
- When uploading an image, click on it in the media library.
- You’ll see a field labeled Alt Text on the right-hand side.
- Enter your descriptive text and hit save.
That’s it! Your image is now optimized for accessibility and SEO.
Step 5: Lazy Load Your Images
Have you heard of lazy loading? It’s a technique where images only load as the user scrolls down the page. This speeds up your initial page load time and improves user experience.
If you’re on WordPress, plugins like Lazy Load by WP Rocket or Smush make it easy to enable this feature.
Step 6: Test Your Site Speed
Once you’ve optimized your images, it’s time to test your site speed to see the difference. My favorite tools for this are:
- Google PageSpeed Insights
- GTmetrix
- Pingdom Tools
Run your site through these tools and pay attention to the recommendations. If your page load time is under 3 seconds, you’re golden!
Are You Optimizing Your Images?
I know this might seem like a lot to take in, but trust me, it’s worth it.
When I started optimizing my images, my blog’s performance improved dramatically. Not only did my traffic increase (thanks to better SEO), but my readers started sticking around longer because they weren’t frustrated by slow load times.
Now it’s your turn! Are you already optimizing your images and adding alt text? Or is this something new you’re planning to try? Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear about your experience.
If you found this post helpful, don’t forget to share it with your blogging friends. Let’s spread the word about the power of image optimization.
