SEO Graphics
Optimise images, charts, and infographics to improve understanding, engagement, and search visibility when they are labelled and compressed for both users and search engines.
If you have uploaded a large image with a generic file name and seen no image search traffic, you already know that SEO graphics need more than a pretty picture.
Key points
- Use descriptive file names that tell search engines what the graphic shows.
- Write alt text that describes the image's content and context, avoiding keyword stuffing.
- Compress images to reduce file size without sacrificing quality, keeping page load times fast.
- Make images responsive so they display correctly on mobile devices.
- Add structured data to help search engines understand the context of your graphics.
A blog infographic that earned image search traffic
A travel blog published an infographic titled '10 Tips for Packing Light' in a post about carry-on essentials. They saved the file as 'packing-light-tips-infographic.jpg', wrote alt text summarising the key takeaway, and compressed the original 3.2MB PNG to 180KB using Squoosh. The page's Largest Contentful Paint dropped from 3.8s to 1.2s. Within three weeks, the infographic appeared in Google Image search for 'packing light tips' and drove 340 visits, 12 backlinks from travel roundups, and a 22% increase in time on page.
Three things that make an SEO graphic work
- Descriptive file name Use a file name that describes the graphic's subject, like 'infographic-on-page-speed-tips.jpg', so search engines understand what the image contains.
- Helpful alt text Write alt text that explains the image's content and function, helping both screen readers and search engines; avoid keyword stuffing and vague descriptions.
- Smart compression Compress images to reduce file size without visible quality loss, using tools like Squoosh or image optimisation plugins, to keep page load times fast and Core Web Vitals healthy.
Four ways an infographic goes wrong
- Generic file name Naming an infographic 'image1.jpg' tells search engines nothing about its content, wasting a chance to appear in image search results.
- Missing alt text Without alt text, screen readers cannot describe the infographic to visually impaired users, and search engines lack context for indexing.
- Oversized file Uploading an infographic as a 5MB PNG slows page load, hurting user experience and Core Web Vitals like Largest Contentful Paint.
- No surrounding text Treating an infographic as a standalone asset without supporting text leaves search engines guessing about the page's topic and takeaway.
Three things that change over time
- Structured data schema Google updates supported structured data types for images; check current documentation to ensure your markup is valid and effective.
- Image search behaviour How users search for images evolves, with more visual search and AI-driven results; follow Google Search Central for best practices.
- Rendering and indexing Google's rendering priorities shift; ensure your graphics are accessible to the crawler, not hidden behind JavaScript or lazy loading.
Common questions
How do I optimise images for SEO?
Use descriptive file names, write helpful alt text, compress images, make them responsive, and add structured data with an image sitemap.
What is the difference between alt text and file name?
A file name labels the graphic for search engines, while alt text describes it for accessibility. Both are needed for image SEO.
Do infographics still help with SEO?
Yes, when they are well-designed, accompanied by supporting text, and optimised for image search, infographics can earn links and shares.
Sources
- Google Search Central: Image best practices Official guidelines for image optimisation from Google.
- Moz: Image alt text and image SEO guides Moz's guide on alt text and image SEO best practices.