Google Image SEO: Filenames and Alt Text
How to write image filenames, alt text, and surrounding content that help search engines and users understand your images.
Image SEO is not only about smaller files. Search engines use filenames, alt text, captions, surrounding text, and page context to understand what an image represents.
Use short, descriptive filenames. A filename like `webp-compression-quality-comparison.webp` is more useful than `image1.webp`. Lowercase English words with hyphens are usually easy to manage across systems.
Alt text should describe the image's meaning or function. Avoid stuffing keywords. If the image is a product photo, describe the product; if it is a UI screenshot, describe what the screenshot shows.
Surrounding content should support the image. Adding unrelated images and forcing keywords into alt text does not create a useful page. The best image SEO comes from helpful images placed in the right context.
- Write descriptive filenames with hyphens.
- Use alt text as an image description, not a keyword list.
- Place images near relevant text.
- Avoid over-describing decorative images.
- Optimize file size and accessibility together.