Search Engine Optimization (err…SEO) can be overwhelming. Trust us, we get it!

The speed of change in the technology industry sure doesn't help. A lot continues to change in the algorithms of Google and Social Media platforms, but some things remain the same (or similar) and we're going to discuss those today.

If you're only here for the freebie, go ahead and download it below.

If you're here for some more meat and potatoes, well then let's dive in.

The old day views and methods of long names and keyword stuffing are over (and have been for awhile, sorry to break it to ya!) But one thing remains:

Image naming is still crazy important

There's a million reasons why you should include images in your content, but to name a few:

• You can SHOW what you do, instead of just telling.
• Increases your “time on page” metric, as it makes your posts easier to read and digest (as people are less likely to peace the eff out after being overwhelmed by a screen full of words)
• It provides room for reader engagement which in turn make it more likely to be shared!
• Your content can go viral on social platforms that rely heavily on imagery (hello, Pinterest!)
• You can gain traffic via Google's Reverse Image Search

So you're sitting there like “well yea duhhh, I have images in there”. But my question then becomes, “Is it optimized?”. More times that not, I get a blank stare as though I'm speaking a foreign language.

So, let’s break down some important elements of optimizing your image names for better SEO performance.

Let's start with Google and their general advice when it comes to image SEO.

“Like many other parts of the page targeted for optimization, filenames are best when they’re short but descriptive.”

Google Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide

In Kindergarten translation: AVOID LONG AND USELESS FILENAMES for your website images.

To give you a brief overview of best practices for SEO Optimized Image Names:

• Keep it Light
• Keep it Relevant
• Keep in Clear

Still feeling overwhelmed and just want an Expert to translate your website to you? Well you're in luck, because we now offer Free Website Expert Reviews. This Audit will provide you with a general overview of where your site currently sits in the rankings as well as some tips and tricks to implement for better performance.

Even if you know you may want to pay to have a lot of these things done for you, the Free Guide and Expert Review below are the perfect places to start.