Images help customers trust you, but they're also the most common reason small business sites load slowly. Handled properly, they help your SEO instead of hurting it.
Before you upload
- Resize to the largest size it will be shown. A phone photo is often several times wider than needed.
- Compress it. WebP or a well-compressed JPEG is usually fine.
- Rename the file to describe it:
switchboard-upgrade-joondalup.jpg, notIMG_4821.jpg.
When you upload
- Alt text: describe what's in the image in plain words. "New switchboard installed in a Joondalup garage." Don't stuff keywords.
- Captions: add a short caption with the suburb and job where it helps the reader.
- Lazy loading: let images further down the page load as people scroll. WordPress does this by default.
Original photos win
Real job photos are unique to you. Stock images appear on thousands of sites. See real photos vs stock.
Then check your site with a speed test.
Want this done for you? See our local SEO plans, or get a free audit.