A lot of bloggers consider images to be a secondary concern. They write an article, add a handful of photos and then publish it.
But the most successful blogs take a different tack.
Images aren’t just filler. These can be used effectively to capture readers’ attention, enhance SEO, drive more social sharing, build authority, and effectively convey complex messaging.
How to use images to serve your purpose and not take up space!
The Internet is as competitive as it’s ever been. Readers are flooded with content and in many cases, make a decision within seconds of whether or not to continue reading an article.
Images help by:
Sometimes a good picture is worth more than a thousand words.
Some of the most common blogging mistakes are choosing photos that are unrelated to the article.
For example:
Readers are able to immediately tell when an image has no relevance or is just filler.
The best pictures complement the narrative, fill in background information to help the reader, etc.
In cases of sports, entertainment, politics, business news, or current events, editorial photography can greatly enhance the credibility of the story.
Editorial photos provide visual documentation of actual events, individuals and places, enabling readers to relate to the content.
In some cases, properly licensed editorial photography can give a more professional look to a blog or to a publisher than using generic stock photographs.
Sports sites, for example, frequently use editorial sports imagery to illustrate game recaps, player profiles, trade news, and tournament coverage.
Good writing is hard to read when it’s just a wall of text.
Incorporating images into an article provides visual breaks that allow the reader to break up the words.
In general:
The aim is to enhance clarity, not to detract from the text.
Images can contribute to search engine optimization when handled correctly.
Some best practices include:
Instead of:
image1.jpg
Use:
best-running-shoes-review.jpg
Descriptive filenames help search engines understand image content.
Alt text serves two important purposes:
Good alt text should accurately describe the image without excessive keyword stuffing.
Large image files can slow down page loading times.
Faster websites generally provide a better user experience and often perform better in search results.
Image optimization tools can significantly reduce file sizes while maintaining visual quality.
Your featured image is likely to be the first thing that readers notice when your article comes up:
Great images usually:
Click-throughs can be greatly enhanced by a compelling featured image.
Some topics are easier to understand visually than through text alone.
Infographics can help explain:
They also tend to generate backlinks and social shares because other websites often reference useful visual resources.
Consistent visuals help build recognition.
Consider maintaining consistency across:
When readers repeatedly encounter a recognizable visual style, your content becomes easier to identify across different platforms.
Although the concept of stock photography is useful, you can have a competitive edge with original photos.
Original visuals often:
Examples include:
The content may have unique visuals that will help it stand out in crowded search results.
Images don’t have to be traditional photographs.
Other visual assets can be equally effective, including:
Different content formats require different visual approaches.
There are many blogs that make unnecessary mistakes and make their content ineffective.
Common mistakes include:
All of the images should be set with a clear purpose in the article.
Images are not just a pretty face. They can be a powerful tool when used in the right way, and they can help boost engagement, improve storytelling, boost your search engine optimization, and enhance the overall reader’s experience.
The best blogs apply visuals as content, not as an add-on. Bloggers can use images that are relevant, optimize them well, include editorial images where suitable and stick to a visual style to make their content more appealing and effective.
With so much content competing for attention online, sometimes it’s the visuals that make the difference between content that’s ignored and content that’s read, shared and remembered.