Image SEO: Alt Text Usage and Format Conversions

Google Doesn't Read Images, It Understands them! The 2026 Face of Image SEO

When you upload an image to your site with the name "photo-123.jpg", search engines see a pile of pixels there. Basic text components of SEO are needed to understand what that image is about and whether it supports the main idea of your article: File name and Alt Text.

How to Write Alt Tag (Alternative Text)

The alt tag both strengthens SEO and allows visually impaired users to navigate your site with screen readers.

• Avoid Packing Keywords: Instead of just spam texts like "red shoes, red leather shoes are cheap", write compositions that clearly describe the image, such as "red leather sneakers with white laces".
• Leave Blank for Decorative Images: Leave blank as "alt=''" as alt text for lines or background images that stand only for design, do not blur the semantic structure.

New Generation Formats (WebP and AVIF)

Page speed is a vital factor in the SEO process (Core Web Vitals). If you're using high-resolution JPEG or PNG files, you're losing from the beginning. Google's direct recommendation is to present images as WebP or AVIF. These modern formats reduce file size by 60-70% without compromising image quality.

Visual Lazy Loading Tactics

For hero images that appear above-the-fold, overlay them simultaneously with the page (fetchpriority="high") to avoid undermining the LCP. You can reduce the initial page opening time to seconds by assigning the loading="lazy" property to all other images that will be loaded as you scroll down the screen.