Image optimization so Google understands what you publish

Google can't see your images the way you do. It reads the clues around them. To help it understand what you publish, give every image a descriptive file name, write a short plain-English description (called alt text), keep the file size small, and put the image next to text that talks about the same thing.

That's the whole idea. None of it takes technical skill, and most of it takes a few seconds per image. Here's how each piece works and what to actually type.

What clues does Google use to understand an image?

Google uses four main clues: the file name, the alt text, the words on the page around the image, and (sometimes) a caption. Together, they tell it what the picture shows and which search it might belong in.

Think of it like handing someone a photo with no label versus one with a note on the back. The note does the work. Here's what each clue looks like in practice:

• File name: the name of the file itself, like IMG_4821.jpg. That tells Google nothing. sourdough-loaf-cooling-rack.jpg tells it a lot.
• Alt text: a short description stored with the image. Visitors don't normally see it, but screen readers read it aloud to people who can't see the picture, and search engines read it too.
• Surrounding text: the headings and paragraphs near the image. If your photo of a loaf sits under a heading about baking sourdough, the match is obvious.
• Caption: the line of text under a picture. It's optional, but people tend to read captions, so use one when it adds something.

How do you write good alt text?

Describe the image the way you'd describe it to a friend over the phone, in one short sentence, and mention the thing the page is about if it genuinely appears in the picture.

Some examples:

• Weak: bread
• Stuffed: best bread bakery bread near me buy bread online
• Good: A golden sourdough loaf cooling on a wire rack next to a bread knife

The stuffed version is a common mistake. Cramming in search words doesn't help, and it makes the page worse for anyone using a screen reader. Write for the person first and Google will follow.

A few rules to decide quickly:

1. If the image shows something that matters to the page (a product, a person, a chart), describe it.
2. If the image is pure decoration (a divider line, a background texture), leave the alt text empty so screen readers skip it.
3. If the image contains text, like a sign or a graphic with words, include those words in the alt text.
4. Skip phrases like "image of" or "picture of." Screen readers already announce that it's an image.

Why do image size and format matter?

Big image files make pages load slowly, and slow pages frustrate visitors and can hurt how your site performs in search. A photo straight off your phone can be several megabytes, far more than a web page needs.

Here's a practical way to handle it:

• Resize before you upload. A full-width image on a page rarely needs to be wider than about 1600 pixels. Smaller images beside text can be much narrower.
• Compress it. Free tools can shrink a file a lot with no difference you'd notice by eye. As a rule of thumb, aim for a few hundred kilobytes per photo, and smaller for simple graphics.
• Pick a sensible format. JPEG suits photos. PNG suits graphics with sharp edges or transparent backgrounds. WebP is a newer format that makes smaller files at similar quality, and most modern browsers handle it.

One more habit worth having: don't hide important information only inside an image. If your opening hours or prices are in a graphic, type them out in the page text as well. Google reads text far more reliably than it reads pictures.

Where does a website builder fit in?

The advice above applies on any platform, but a good builder should make it easy to do each step. With SimplePath, you build a website by describing what you want, and you can then review the pages and images it produces. That review is the moment to check that each image has a clear description and sits next to the right text. If you're curious about the kinds of sites you can put together, take a look at what SimplePath can build, from blogs to stores to member areas.

If you already have a site, you don't have to guess whether your images are in good shape. The free website grader scores an existing site, so you can see where it stands before you change anything.

Your next step

Pick your five most important pages, usually your home page and the pages for what you sell. Go through each image and ask three questions: does the file name say what it is, does the alt text describe it in a sentence, and is the file small enough to load quickly? Fix those, and you've covered most of what matters.

Have a question about your own setup? The FAQ is a good place to start, and you can always get in touch with us directly.