Since the Google Images update, which directly redirects users to the origin website, there is renewed interest in optimizing image referencing in Google Images. Here's a rundown of the basics for referencing your images, but also a focus on what just changed.
How to Reference Images on Google in 2018? We return to the 8 bases
Although referencing an image in Google Images is not so complicated if we agree to do some small essential manipulations that will necessarily take more time than the conventional integration of an image on a website:
1.- Start at the base, create your own images.
This is very important because Google doesn't like duplicate images in its search results and is improving image recognition.
2- Optimize the size and weight of your images
Google tends to prefer images that are quite large (>800 pixels wide) but whose weight is reasonable. Depending on the size of your images, try to aim for less than 500kb for the largest ones and ideally less than 100kb for the smallest ones (the one at the top of this article is 10kb, for example), the time charging of your mobile and desktop device will be better.
3- Rename your image
Avoid image names like “sdv225832555.jpg”, prefer a short but descriptive name: for example, “reference-images-google-2018.jpg”.
4- Always add an alt attribute to your images when they are embedded in a website
This rule only applies to the images you want to reference, don't bother doing it with the others. Here is an example of a correct alt tag: “Reference Images in Google 2018” As a reminder, alt attributes are useful for Google but also for people with visual disabilities, so avoid alt tags like “Reference-images-google” that are useless.
5- Optimize the text around your image and add a title if possible.
Adding captions with keywords similar to specific queries is very effective and helps Google understand what the image is about.
6- Tag your images using schema.org.
Depending on the type of page (product sheet, article, recipe,...), adapt to the preferred markup.
7- Optimize the title of the page where the image is integrated.
The more the title links to the image you want to reference, the better.
8- The authority of the page and the domain.
The more an image comes from a trusted source, the more likely it is to rank easily on Google Images.
THE 3 NEW CRITERIA AND FACTORS FOR IMAGES WITH GOOD REFERENCES ON GOOGLE IN 2018 – 2019
We remember the basic concepts, what are the new criteria and factors introduced by Google to correctly reference your images in Google Images in 2018 – 2019?
The September 24, Google announced that it has updated its algorithm dedicated to Google Images to add 3 important factors that affect image referencing in its search engine.
From now on, in addition to the basic factors mentioned above, Google will take more into account:
1- The “freshness” of the content in which an image is published. The more up-to-date the content associated with an image is, the better it is for your reference (updating old content is still interesting).
2- The placement of the image on the page. In other words, the higher a page is in the content, the more it will be valued by Google. Therefore, choose to place your strategic images above the waterline or just below it.
3- The authority of the page on which the image is placed. If this criterion was very important to Google, the search engine indicates that it will now be more important than before.
So, now you know what you have to do to make the most of Google Images and the organic traffic that can bring in some extra efforts every time you add a new image to your website.
