How Do I Select Blog Images for My Content?
What should you consider when choosing blog images?
Images offer users a number of advantages when they are added to content. The increased engagement is an important one for many brands. People enjoy looking at images, which might be why Tweets with images receive 5x the engagement of those that do not. Images help to promote everything from Facebook posts to blog posts. They help readers connect with the content by making the entire post or piece more personal.
Image can also be useful for Google rankings. When you optimize your images with Alt text and tags, then your image can rank for related queries on Google images. This can help you boost traffic and brand awareness as well.
How do I choose blog images for my site?
It is important to first note that the right images will rarely be a stock image. Stock images are impersonal, and they can be seen on nearly any site on the web - and customers know that. They recognize the image you have of a woman using a computer is the same one they saw on a different website last week. Even if people understand intellectually why you use stock images, they can still damage your credibility.
If you are trying to obtain Google rankings or Google Quick Answers, it is also important to note that Google generally does not rank stock images in Google Images. Using private photos is the best way to earn that extra search engine boost.
You want to create a personal image. Find something that reflects the emotions and message that you are trying to communicate with your audience. Make sure that the image is clear and engaging, and not something that was just taken with a camera phone.
What are the steps to using blog images effectively?
- Review your content and think about the images that come to mind when visualizing your material through the eyes of the customer. Think about the emotions you want to illicit and the message you want to send.
- Create a custom image that fits with your brand and introduces your customers those behind the company. It might be pictures of you and your employees, real past customers, products, your offices or anything else applicable.
- Optimize your image for Google with Alt text and titles to help them attract any potential attention on image searches.
- Measure your engagement rates of the content with these images and use the information to adjust future strategies.
Images are valuable tools for brands looking to build engagement with their content and entice more customers to learn about their organization. Using images correctly is important for brand success, so keep these guidelines in mind.