Images can help or hurt your SEO. Well-optimised photos win traffic from Google Images and make your pages more useful. Heavy, unlabelled images slow your site down and hold rankings back.
1. Write useful alt text
Alt text describes an image for people using screen readers and for search engines. Describe what is in the photo, naturally: "Electrician fitting a consumer unit in a kitchen in Romford", not a list of keywords.
2. Use descriptive file names
boiler-installation-exeter.jpg tells Google far more than IMG_4482.jpg.
3. Compress and use modern formats
Save photos as WebP or AVIF, resize them to the size they are shown at, and compress them. Large images are the most common reason local business websites fail Google's Core Web Vitals.
4. Set sizes and lazy-load
Give every image a width and height so the page does not jump as it loads, and lazy-load images further down the page. Do not lazy-load the main image at the top, because it slows down your largest content paint.
5. Use real photos
Photos of your team, your premises and your finished work build trust and are far more likely to be clicked than stock images.
6. Do not forget Google Business Profile
Regularly adding real photos to your Google Business Profile helps your listing stand out in Google Maps. It is a quick win for local SEO.