Images play a crucial role in local SEO, but not all photos are created equal. Using the wrong type of image can hurt your rankings, while the right one can propel your business to the top. This guide will walk you through the best practices for using images in SEO, based on a real-life case study.
🔍 Why Photos Matter for SEO
Google doesn’t just look at the text on your website—it also evaluates your images. The wrong image choice (such as a stock photo used by many sites) can harm your rankings, while a relevant and unique image can boost your visibility.
📸 Step-by-Step Guide to Optimizing Images for SEO
1️⃣ Avoid Overused Stock Photos
❌ Problem: Stock photos are widely used, and if multiple businesses use the same image, Google will likely rank only one.
✅ Solution: Use unique images that are different from what competitors have already published.
🔎 Case Study: A dentist’s website lost traffic because their Invisalign page used the same stock image as competitors. When they stopped ranking, another business using the same image took their place.
2️⃣ Use Images That Accurately Represent the Topic
❌ Problem: A generic or unrelated image can confuse both Google and users.
✅ Solution: Choose images that visually demonstrate the topic of your content.
🔎 Case Study: A lawn care business swapped a low-quality lawn image for a high-quality stock photo of a skunk. Instead of improving rankings, they dropped from position #2 to #3. When they replaced it with a real photo of the damage skunks cause, they ranked #1.
3️⃣ Check What Google is Already Ranking
🔎 How to Find Relevant Image Types:
1️⃣ Search for your target keyword in Google Images.
2️⃣ Analyze the top-ranking images—do they show products, close-ups, action shots, or something else?
3️⃣ Use a similar style but ensure your image is unique.
4️⃣ Optimize Image Search Visibility in Google Search Console
📊 To track image performance in Google Search Console:
1️⃣ Open Google Search Console.
2️⃣ Go to Performance > Click Search Type: Image.
3️⃣ Analyze which images are driving traffic and which need improvement.
5️⃣ Unique ≠ Identical: Google’s Image Filter
💡 Google applies a filter to prevent showing duplicate images multiple times. If your image is identical to another, Google may not show it at all.
🔎 Case Study: The SEO expert in the video used the same headshot on 30+ websites, but in a Google search, only one version appeared, while other headshots ranked instead.
6️⃣ Test & Monitor Image Changes
🔄 If replacing an image drops your rankings, test a different image before making further changes.
🔎 Case Study: A business replaced a stock photo with a real photo, but rankings dropped. When they re-added the stock photo, they ranked again—showing that context matters as much as originality.
📢 Final Takeaways
✅ Use unique images whenever possible.
✅ Check Google Images to see what’s ranking before choosing your photos.
✅ Avoid using overused stock photos that competitors also have.
✅ Track image traffic in Google Search Console.
✅ Test and monitor changes to see how they impact rankings.
⚡ Bottom Line: Google wants diversity in search results. The best approach is to use high-quality, unique, and relevant images that align with what Google already ranks—but not exact duplicates!
