Images – they’re not so tricky, really.
Here at 3webfeet we often field calls and emails from clients (and even friends) struggling to understand the language behind dealing with images for the web – let alone actually optimising them and using them on their sites.
The good news is, it’s not rocket science. And also, there are countless helpful article and posts all over the internet to prove that. We’ve found a great little bunch of tips for optimising images here at Web Marketing Today (these experts often have really useful articles on subjects like social media, web design and much more).
Drew Coffin from Web Marketing Today identifies the following tips that can help optimise your website imagery, by upping the SEO capability and by decreasing load times.
1. Image Descriptions
Make sure you’re using image descriptions when you upload images to the internet. There are three ways to describe an image inside of the HTML tag: a file name, an “alt” attribute, and a “title” attribute. A file name should be brief, but should describe what the image represents, as this is what search engines use to understand what the image depicts. Remember – words need to be separated with hyphens. An “alt” is very important to search engines – especially Google. This is the description we see when we mouse over an image. This description is also used by a screen reader, and comes up when for whatever reason, an image doesn’t load properly. The last description type is title attribute text, and while the search engines don’t use this in searching for images and content, it is useful for providing supplementary info to viewers, and thus should be slightly different to your “alt” description.
2. Use the Right Dimensions
Keeping image dimensions exact is usually the best way of doing things, rather than leaving them to be automatically re-sized by your content management system (CMS). If you need to re-size image and you don’t have the software, we recommend getting to know www.pixlr.com – it’s free and easy to use and you don’t need to download anything onto your own computer. Remember, smaller files take less time to load, so it is worth taking the time to decrease an image’s size before popping it on your website.
3. Use the Right File Type
Web Marketing Today lays this out simply: “There are many image file types, but the most common on the web are JPEG and PNG. Choosing the proper image type can reduce file size and increase clarity. Both of these offer optimization benefits depending on the size and subject matter of the image. Generally, use JPEGs for large, photographic images. Use PNGs for smaller images or images with minimal photographic elements or for images that include text. Use 8-bit PNGs for simple images with only a few colors. To really optimize your images, it is best to compare the same image saved as a PNG and JPEG for quality and image size.”
For more info on this topic, check out Drew Coffin’s post at Web Marketing Today. We find that the best way to learn your way around the image optimisation process is to practice – so have a go, try out pixlr.com and enjoy the results!
Newsjacking – It’s not actually a negative.
SEO (search engine optimisation) trends and techniques are constantly developing and changing, and something newer we are starting to see in online marketing and content development is the increase of ‘newsjacking’.
While it may sound a bit cheeky, as if you might be stealing info to use yourself, in reality it is a perfectly acceptable and increasingly useful way of providing content that is already in demand, and riding that wave by contributing to a more universal discussion.
We’ve learnt more about newsjacking from Adam Stetzer who writes for Search Engine Watch, and he makes the point that newsjacking really only works if your content is timely, accurate, and relates to your business or organisation, or your industry as a whole. For example, there is no point in a clothing boutique newsjacking content relating to a spate of home break-ins, but this might be really useful for a security company. Remember, breaking or developing news stories don’t necessarily need to be bad news either. Here in Hawke’s Bay an example of useful newsjacking might be a winery joining the conversation about this drought finally breaking!
Here’s what Stetzer has to say about what newsjacking actually is:
What is newsjacking?
- Paying attention to breaking news.
- Understanding the keywords being searched for in a particular news cycle.
- Producing high-quality, well-researched content that serves a specific demand for information.
- Syndicating content very quickly to be found when other news organizations search for sources.
Newsjacking works because people are already searching for the content you are adding, and it also works because being part of a wider conversation, whether that’s through your website, blog or social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Google+ makes you more visible, which can only be a good thing as you work to grow your audience.
You can read the full post from Adam Stetzer here, along with some other great tips and info on optimising your online content. Happy newsjacking, everyone!
Your Website – the Heart of your On-Line Marketing
With all the buzz about social media and online marketing tools you must be wondering if your website is about to become obsolete? The clear answer is NO. Like all sustainable web marketing strategies there must be a core, a heart, a driver of the campaigns. That’s the purpose of your website. Every time you want to tell people about you, your business or your service the key is to send them where all the information is – and that is the website. In a business sense the other online marketing tools, including social media, are merely the “tantalizers” that grab the attention. Because there are so many options for people to ‘live’ in within the web community you need to talk to them where they ‘live’. Some like Facebook and Twitter, some like Google, some enjoy blogs – the list goes on. Reach out and talk to them in their world and then direct them back to your world. Bring them to the front door of your online business – your website.
One of the major reasons for a successful website is its ability to be found – easily and quickly. Everyone wants to be in the Top 10 searches on Google. Google has created its own rules about who goes where and the key is to understand these rules and make the most of them. In our business we call that Search Engine Optimization. The principles behind Search Engine Optimization (SEO) are quite straight forward, the application of the rules take specialist knowledge and experience. At 3webfeet we put as much emphasis on SEO as we do on our designs – we like to think that the website we create for you not only answers your business requirements and looks good, it is also ‘searchable’. These days, in all our website development projects, we undertake a basic SEO analysis based on your website’s key themes. This will give your website a measure of search engine success but, like all analyses, there are varying degrees to which you can go. It’s a bit like a doctor’s visit. When you first meet with your new doctor you have a basic examination to make sure everything is in good working order. But, someone interested in the long term state of their health will choose to have a more in-depth examination on a regular basis. The same principle applies to your website.
We have developed a more in-depth SEO analysis for websites. It involves research, audits, competitive analysis and technical analysis of your website. We recommend that, as someone who wants to maximise the long-term searchability of your website, you consider an in-depth analysis on a regular basis. Why not check out how your website is performing now? Can you find it easily? Are your competitors ahead of you? Are you happy with your ranking? If you think you need help you know where to find us.
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