12 Tips to Optimize Your Schools Images for Better SEO

12 Tips to Optimize Your Schools Images for Better SEO

November 14, 2022
(Reading time: 5 - 9 minutes)

As a private school marketer or administrator, you know the importance of including relevant, high-quality photos on your blog articles, website, and social media posts. Photographs, illustrations, and other visuals can only enhance the appeal of your content.

Regarding content on the web, the general rule is that you should always include at least one image with each post. If your post is longer, you may want to have several.

Images and graphics are not only aesthetically appealing, but they also make your text more interesting to read. They can also assist you with search engine optimization (SEO).

Regarding image optimization for the web, there are three approaches to consider:

  1. Make your images look good.
  2. Make your images load quickly.
  3. Make your images easy for search engines to index.

Most articles on the subject focus on one of these elements or another; however, I will discuss all three in this post.

12 Tips to Optimize Your Schools Images for Better Web Design, Social Media, and SEO

Here is what you need to know about optimizing your private school images for use on the web.

1. Start With High-Quality Images

You don't have to be a professional graphic designer or photographer to utilize images on your blog or social media posts.

Every day, there seems to be a new site offering high-quality free stock images where you can get stunning photographs or vector images for free.

I have two blog posts that list several of the sites:

When you download an image or illustration from a free stock image site, make sure you resize it for the program, site, etc., you intend to use it. It's ideal to start with a larger image and then lower the size; beginning with a smaller image and then increasing it seldom works (it will pixelate or look grainy).

2. Take Your Own Photos

Of course, using images shot by a professional or even yourself is fantastic. If necessary, add a reflector or diffuser, such as a softbox or umbrella, to make your images look well-lit and professional. If not, photo editors can be of great assistance.

3. Design Custom Graphics

There are several excellent tools available to assist you in creating your infographics or photographs with front overlays.

While your professional graphic designers will tell you to use Photoshop, there are several free tools out there, such as:

4. Use the Right File Type

Most of the time, you should utilize a JPG (JPEG), PNG or SVG format. There are advantages and disadvantages to each, but as a general guideline, you can think about these different types in these ways:

  • Point blank, JPGs are the best format for photographs. This file format can accommodate all of the colors in an image while maintaining a modest file size (important when loading images on the web).
  • Infographics or text heavy images are usually best saved as a PNG because it typically has a better resolution than a JPG. PNGs handle color and text regions with excellent, clear lines so you won't lose any quality. Because they offer translucent backgrounds, most logos are stored in PNG format.
  • SVG stands for “scalable vector graphic.” These images can be created and edited with any text editor, such as Notepad or TextEdit. They allow for scalability and can be printed with high quality at any resolution. SVGs are best used with native vector art or logos.

5. Resize Images to Optimize Page Speed and Appearance

Regarding images on your website, you want to aim for a balance between visual look (resolution) and size. This is because you want the image to load quickly and look clean and crisp.

The loading speed of your website is more than simply a personal choice; it also significantly influences a site's performance and is a ranking factor for Google and SEO in general.

The longer it takes for a web page to load, the higher the bounce rate. A high bounce rate indicates to search engines that people didn't find your site or content valuable, and the page's ranking will suffer as a result.

Check out these stats:

  • 1 in 4 visitors would abandon a website that takes more than 4 seconds to load
  • 46% of users don't revisit poorly performing websites
  • A 1-second delay reduces customer satisfaction by 16%

(Sources: LoadStorm, Econsultancy)

It is essential to understand three characteristics of "size" in relation to online images.

File size

The number of bytes a file occupies on your computer is called its file size. This is the aspect that might significantly slow down the pace of your website. A 5MB or larger image is enormous; a 125KB image is far more realistic. If your file size is too big, your image dimensions are either too large or the resolution is too high.

Image size

Image size correlates to the actual dimensions of your picture. When it comes to the web, everything is measured in pixels. For example, a brochure image may be 4" x 6", but if the same image is utilized on the internet, it will be 384 × 576 pixels.

Resolution

Printed photos require 300 dots per inch (dpi); however, most computer displays display images at 72 dpi or 92 dpi. Thus anything greater is unnecessary and can slow down your site speed.

6. How to Find the Resolution of an Image, File Size, and Image Size

It’s easy to determine the file size and image size of an image or graphic. Right-click on the image file, choose “Properties,” and then the “Summary” tab. On a Mac, Ctrl+click on the image file and select “Get Info.”

A photo editing application, such as Adobe Photoshop, is usually required to determine the resolution. Still, most simple editing tools will allow you to save photographs at a lower, web-friendly DPI.

7. Image Size, File Size, and Resolution Recommendations

  • Large images or hero images should be a 16:9 aspect ratio. At a minimum, they need to be 1,200 pixels and a maximum of 2,560 pixels.
  • Hero images should be no larger than 1 -2 MB
  • Always use "Save for web" if you have the choice to give your image a web-friendly resolution.
  • It's possible to make a picture smaller, but nearly impossible to make an image larger and have it be acceptable. It is preferable to download a larger image and then downsize it to a smaller one.

8. What Should You Do if Your Image Is Too Large?

If your images are too large (which is the case if you are using a digital camera or even your phone), here is what to do:

Resize the Image

Let’s say your image is 5000 px wide. You can easily resize it to 2500 px wide using Photoshop, an online photo editor, or possibly your mobile device. Be sure to keep the image at the same proportions so you don’t distort your image.

Reduce the Resolution

Some photo programs will automatically reduce your images to a web-friendly size, or if your program is more sophisticated, such as Photoshop, you can choose the dpi.

Use a Free Resizing Program

There are tons of tools out there online and native apps that will help you compress and resize images, such as:

9. Make Images the Same Size and Style

Images on the web will always look better if they are the same size and proportion. Consistency is essential. It only takes a few moments to resize and crop your images to ensure they are all the same size and resolution.

10. Optimize Your Images for Search Engines

Most school marketers don’t give much thought to the names of their files. However, replacing your images with keywords can help improve your SEO.

While Google is getting smarter and can possibly read some of the text in your photos, you need to assume that it can only read the text on your page. Therefore, it relies on the image’s name to interpret it correctly. Because the file name is also part of the image’s URL, naming your file anything in plain English will make your URLs easier to traverse and parse for search engines (and future you).

11. Use the Alt Text and Description Fields to Your Advantage

When you upload a photo, fill out the Alternative Text (Alt Text) and Description sections. Alt text isn’t seen by the “normal visitor,” those with a screen reader or images turned off will hear or see it, and search engines. Remember that filling out Alt text and descriptions is essential for SEO, but don’t try to keyword stuff. Just be detailed in plain English and avoid utilizing repeating keywords to avoid being penalized by the search engines.

12. Choose Images That Are Relevant to the Context of the Page or Post

While it may seem like a no-brainer, you will want to choose images that relate to the context and message of your blog post rather than something completely random. For example, you wouldn’t want to use a picture of a kitten when discussing higher-quality education from smaller class sizes. Another tip is to try not to use stock photo clichés.

Final Thoughts

Following the tips and steps, I have outlined above will not only improve the appearance of your school’s image but also make your private school website load faster, and increase your SEO.

If you need help optimizing your school's images or wondering if you are on the right track with your private school marketing efforts, reach out to me today. I am here to help you and your school grow!

Adam Bennett

Written by:  |  November 14, 2022

Adam is the president and founder of Cube Creative Design and specializes in private school marketing. Since starting the business in 2005, he has created individual relationships with clients in Western North Carolina and across the United States. He places great value on the needs, expectations, and goals of the client.

See Adam Bennett's' bio: cubecreative.design/about/adam-bennett