The Image SEO Best Practices have been updated by Google, did you know?

What’s the News?

Images play a very important role in making any content worth reading or even giving a look to. We have seen the positive results that good images can have on SEO optimized content but this new update by Google aims to expand the Image SEO guidelines that were already in place.

These changes provide updated recommendations on elements like:

• File names and alt text usage
• Image placement and size considerations
• Use of structured data (schema.org)
• Mobile responsiveness and lazy loading
• Contextual relevance of surrounding text

These are some of the most common terms that have been in Search Engine Optimization circles for a very long time. However, Google has now provided clearer and more specific recommendations. One key point that stood out in the update: Google explicitly discouraged embedding critical text within images, citing accessibility and rendering concerns.

Why Is Image SEO Important?

While many marketers focus on keyword rankings, backlinks, and metadata, Image SEO often doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Yet, it plays a crucial role in visibility, especially in:

• Google Images traffic
• Featured snippets and knowledge panels
• Visual search tools like Google Lens
• Page load speed and accessibility

Proper Image Optimization can help a business grow online in many ways. One of those ways is by increasing the organic traffic through images. Also, these optimized images can add relevance to your content. For e-commerce, fashion, travel, and food websites in particular, image visibility becomes a key element and it can also directly influence click-through rates and conversions.

Search engines rely on text-based cues like alt attributes, captions, and file names to interpret images. When these cues are weak or missing, it hurts discoverability. However, with the updated SEO guidelines, Google is reinforcing the need to treat images as an integrated part of your content and not just decorative elements.

How does this update Change Marketing Strategies?

For digital marketers and developers, the updated guidelines signal a need to revisit their image handling practices. Here’s how your marketing and SEO strategies should evolve:

1. Refine Alt Text and File Naming Conventions

Writing concise, descriptive, and contextually accurate alt text that reflects the image’s role in the content will make your content shine on the internet realm. Also, alt text has to be simple and it should be keywords-optimized as well if you want to gain more traction.

2. Focus on Contextual Relevance

Images are what attract your reader. They have to be in your text for a reason otherwise they are worthless. The heading, subheadings and captions of your content should also align with the context of the image.

3. Implement Structured Data Where Applicable

Using schema.org tags like ImageObject and including licensing information for creative assets is now recommended. Structured data helps Google understand how to categorize and display your images, especially in rich results.

4. Avoid Embedding Text in Images

Google explicitly advises against embedding important text in images, such as pricing, product names, or promotional content. Text in images may not be properly indexed and creates a poor experience for screen readers and users on slower connections.

Final Thoughts

In today’s news, we have given you all the information about the latest Image SEO Update that Google has announced. Now, for marketing experts, these changes can be a little cumbersome at first but their relevance is what you need to know about

If you're a business that relies heavily on product photos, infographics, or visual content, now is the time to audit your website’s media assets and align them with the latest SEO best practices. Even a few improvements like better alt text or smarter file naming can lead to measurable results in rankings and traffic. We are experts of SEO and Image optimization at TEQTOP. if you want to rank on the first pages of all the Search Engine Results Pages, we can help you out!