How do you use images, videos, and other media to enhance your SEO and attract more visitors?

1 Choose relevant and high-quality media

The first step is to choose media that matches your topic, tone, and audience. Don't use images, videos, or other media just for the sake of filling space or adding visual appeal. Use media that supports your message, provides value, and enhances your credibility. Also, make sure your media is high-quality, clear, and professional. Avoid blurry, pixelated, or distorted media that can hurt your image and user experience.

2 Optimize your file names and formats

The second step is to optimize your file names and formats for SEO. File names and formats can help search engines understand what your media is about and how it relates to your content. Use descriptive and relevant keywords in your file names, separated by hyphens. For example, instead of IMG_1234.jpg, use blue-sky-clouds.jpg. Also, use the appropriate file formats for your media. For images, use JPEG, PNG, or WebP. For videos, use MP4, WebM, or OGG. For other media, use PDF, SVG, or HTML5.

3 Use alt text and captions

The third step is to use alt text and captions for your media. Alt text is a short description of your media that appears when the media fails to load or when the user uses a screen reader. Captions are text that accompanies your media and explains what it shows or means. Both alt text and captions can help search engines and users understand your media better and improve your accessibility and SEO. Use keywords and phrases in your alt text and captions, but don't overstuff them or make them too long.

4 Reduce your file size and loading time

The fourth step is to reduce your file size and loading time for your media. Large and heavy media files can slow down your website and affect your SEO and user experience. Users are likely to bounce off your website if it takes too long to load or if your media doesn't display properly. To reduce your file size and loading time, use compression tools, lazy loading, or content delivery networks (CDNs). These can help you optimize your media for speed and performance without compromising quality.

5 Embed videos from external sources

The fifth step is to embed videos from external sources instead of hosting them on your website. Hosting videos on your website can consume a lot of bandwidth and storage space and affect your website speed and SEO. Embedding videos from external sources like YouTube, Vimeo, or Wistia can help you save resources, increase exposure, and leverage the SEO benefits of these platforms. Embedding videos also allows you to add social sharing buttons, annotations, and calls to action to your videos.

6 Use schema markup and sitemaps

The sixth step is to use schema markup and sitemaps for your media. Schema markup is a code that you add to your website to provide more information and context to search engines about your media. Schema markup can help you rank higher for rich snippets, featured snippets, or image carousels. Sitemaps are files that list all the pages and media on your website and help search engines crawl and index them. Sitemaps can help you improve your visibility and SEO for your media.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?