Thread: How to name my images

Hi. This is a really embarrasing question. I just read Vodahost's post on naming pages for se optimization and there was something in there about naming images. When I click on my properties in bv for my images it comes up looking like: C:\users\owner\desktop\somefilename\imagename.jpg.

The examples given said to rename you images to look like:

www.mywebsite.com/this-keyword-works-well.jpg

how do I do that?

Hi, when you save your images for your site its not a bad idea to save them in a BV folder called images. (If its not there, you can make one) The reason for this is that you will find 90% of your images will need for your site will need optimising for size & smaller KB’s. So it’s at this point that it’s a good time to rename them for the SE’s to find. When you name your image, just give it a name that relates to your image & page. So if you had gardening site & you named your image “red-rose” & saved it. When it is on your site it will look like http://www.mysite.com/red-rose.jpg it will only show as what you saved it as, & all the My documents part doesn’t go with it to your site.
Also don’t forget to add an alt tag to your image. Maybe “English garden red rose”.
I search quite a bit using images & web makers that have named there images correctly, will attract more visitors.

Good luck.

As to naming your images, if they don't have the name you want, go to the program they are in on your computer and click to rename the image. Using the keywords that depict the image is the best name - with NO spaces in the name. Or if you don't want to overwrite the way they are currently named on your computer - open the image, and then do a 'save as' and name this with the new name and use this image on the site. And while you have the image open - optimize it :)

Thanks. That's really good info. If I name my image "red-rose", will the se find it if someone types in "red rose photos"? In other words (no pun intended), does the keyword of my image have to be an exact match to the search keyword someone types into the se?

Also, with the Alt text. I assume that if I have an image that is titled "aviation-photos-B17", and my alt text reads "B17 propeller photos", that someone typing in aviation and/or photos and/or B17, OR B17 propeller photos, that my image will come up? I'm just trying to understand the significance of the Alt text.

Thank you so much. I could not have even gotten this far without this forum and everyone's input!!

Alt text is specifically for the people who can't see the images to know what they would see if they could :) - so it works the same for the search engines - that text tells them what the image would be. Yes, using keywords is always good IF it is appropriate to the image.

Hi, there are quite a few people that brows the web with the image side of the browser off or restricted in some way. The naming & alt text I believe works in a very similar way to a normal search in the respect that it doesn’t particularly look for just images.. Its just another way the SE,s look for any information relating to the search. So! Might as well give them as much help as pos.

Awsome. Thank you sooo much!

Alt text IS helpful for visually impaired visitors who implement a voice-assisted browser function, but it is dually a visual clue for normally capable visitors both for rollover as well as for another defined contextual data source for Search Engines to consider as they evaluate the overall continuity and cohesiveness of a website's "Prefection" construct!

Titling images with key words and/or phrases that specifically are attributable to the page they are presented is a sound practice that also is overlooked as a means of scoring a greater depth of continuity and overall rankable relevance: SE's attach a value to unranked images if they relate or contribute to the relevance of a page, for their sole mission is to pre-position resources of relevant data according to the initial Search querry......think of it as a page of a book with pure text vs. text with relevantly titled images: which do you suppose would be of greater value to their clients in their unique search for the best, the most reliable, or the most likely authoritive information?

Proper image titling and Alt Text elevates previously unranked elements of Content to contribute to the overall metrics. Period!