What are the common mistakes to avoid when optimizing media elements for SEO on a website?
When it comes to optimizing media elements like images and videos for SEO on your website, there are some common mistakes to watch out for:
- Neglecting Image and Video Optimization: Many people forget to optimize their images and videos at all. This is a missed opportunity because search engines can’t “see” media like humans do. You need to tell them what your media is about.
- Using Uninformative File Names: One common mistake is leaving your media files with generic names like “IMG12345.jpg” or “video.mp4.” Instead, give them descriptive names related to the content, like “red-apple.jpg” or “how-to-cook-pasta.mp4.”
- Ignoring Alt Text: Alt text (alternative text) is essential for images. It’s a brief description of the image’s content. Skipping alt text means search engines won’t understand the image, and you miss out on potential traffic from image searches.
- Large File Sizes: Big media files can slow down your website, which can hurt your SEO. Compress images and videos to reduce file sizes without sacrificing quality. There are tools and plugins available for this.
- Not Considering Mobile Users: Make sure your media elements are responsive and work well on mobile devices. Google values mobile-friendly websites and may rank them higher.
- Ignoring Video Sitemaps: If you have videos on your site, consider creating a video sitemap. It helps search engines find and index your videos more effectively.
- Missing Captions and Transcripts: For videos, providing captions and transcripts is helpful for both accessibility and SEO. Search engines can’t listen to videos, so they rely on text-based content to understand them.
- Overlooking Social Sharing: Encourage users to share your media on social platforms. Social signals can indirectly influence your SEO.
- Using Autoplay Videos: Autoplaying videos can annoy users and increase your website’s bounce rate, which can harm your SEO. Instead, let users choose when to play videos.
- Not Tracking Performance: Failing to monitor how your media elements perform can be a mistake. Use tools like Google Analytics to see which media gets the most views and engagement.
Optimizing media for SEO is about making your content more accessible, improving user experience, and helping search engines understand what your media is all about. Avoiding these common mistakes will put you on the right track to better SEO performance.
Related Guide : Google PageSpeed Insights For SEOs & Developers