SEO6 min read·Updated

How to Optimise Images for Google (SEO + Web Vitals)

Image SEO is two layers. Layer one: the file must be small and in a next-gen format — convert to WebP. Layer two: descriptive filename, alt text, nearby text, and valid structured data. Do both; neither alone is enough.

Googlebot is a visitor with a checklist

It downloads the page, sees LCP, and indexes images for Google Images. A 2 MB PNG named IMG_4032.webp fails both jobs even after you change the extension.

Why it matters

  • Core Web Vitals are ranking-relevant.
  • Google Images is still a traffic source for some niches.
  • Thin pages with huge images look untrustworthy.

How to do it

  1. Convert rasters to WebP at the displayed width.
  2. Rename to blue-suede-trainers.webp, not final-final-2.webp.
  3. Write alt that describes the image, not the keyword list.
  4. Add width/height. Lazy-load below the fold only.

Settings that work

Technical: 1600 px / 80% as a default. SEO: unique alt per image.

Convert a batch in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
Open the converter

Put it into practice

Convert your images to WebP right now, free and privately in your browser.

Open the converter

Frequently asked questions

Not as a format bonus. It ranks pages that are faster and images that are relevant.

A human-readable filename helps. Stuffing does not.

Keep reading

SEO6 min read

Do WebP images rank better?

WebP is not a ranking factor by name. Faster pages and healthier Core Web Vitals are. That is why WebP helps SEO.

Read more
SEO6 min read

Alt text best practices

Alt text does not change because the file is WebP. How to write it, when to leave it empty, and how it works with conversion.

Read more
SEO9 min read

Image SEO best practices

12 actionable image SEO tips: file formats, names, alt text, dimensions, lazy loading, sitemaps and structured data. Get more traffic from Google Images and faster pages.

Read more