| Here is a great traffic-building tip: | | | | - For a blind person, the alt tag text |
| you can get tons of visitors from Google | | | | is what they get instead of the photo. |
| by using photos on your site. | | | | And for people who have images turned |
| Google has an "Image Search", and when | | | | off, this alternate text is what that |
| people look for pictures there, they | | | | they will see instead of the image. |
| will see your photos. Let's say your | | | | 2) How to keep your pages loading fast |
| website is about roses. If a person | | | | while using images. |
| searches for a picture of a rose on | | | | - Be sure to specify the height and |
| Google image search will get a whole | | | | width of the photo. This way the page |
| page of pictures of roses. | | | | load is not slowed down while you are |
| If the person clicks on a photo that | | | | waiting for the picture to load. |
| they like, they will be sent to a page | | | | If the browser knows the size of your |
| with a small version of your image along | | | | photo, it can leave room for it and |
| with a snapshot of your web page. A lot | | | | continue loading the rest of your page. |
| of people will click through to your web | | | | Otherwise, it has to wait until the |
| page. | | | | photo loads before it knows how much |
| If you use a really cute or unusual | | | | room to leave, which slows down the |
| picture, you can really get a lot of | | | | loading of the rest of your page. |
| traffic from it. I discovered this by | | | | - Check the size of your photo file. It |
| accident, but I have been using it | | | | should be under 20-30k. This is |
| deliberately ever since. | | | | especially important if you use a lot of |
| Some ideas for using image search: | | | | images on one page. If your file sizes |
| 1) Make sure Google knows what the photo | | | | are too large, it can really slow down |
| is about. | | | | your page load. |
| - Use your keywords in the file name. | | | | If your image files are too large, use |
| Don't use some random letters or | | | | and image editor to save them at a |
| numbers. Use some words that are related | | | | lesser quality. A lower quality image |
| to your post. | | | | will still look good on a web page. |
| - Use keywords in the alt tag of the | | | | 3) Choose your photos wisely. |
| photo. Just use a few words. Don't make | | | | - Use photos that people will be |
| it excessively long. | | | | attracted to and will click on. - Use |
| - Words found near the photo influence | | | | keywords that are apt to be searched. |
| the meaning also. Google uses this to | | | | If you follow these tips, your pictures |
| figure out what the photo is of. So | | | | will have a much better chance of being |
| watch what text you have near your | | | | found first in Google's image search. If |
| images. | | | | you add an image to every post you make, |
| - Adding a caption to the image will | | | | this greatly improves your chances of |
| give Google additional text to figure | | | | getting lots of traffic to your website |
| out the photo's subject. | | | | or blog. |