5 Ways for optimizing images

Here's 5 tips to make sure you're optimizing your sites images for the search engines.

1. Robots.txt file:
Ensure that the folder you are storing your images in is not blocked by your robots.txt file. Hint: Store your navigational and "structural" type graphics in one folder, and block that from the spiders, store the pictures of products, events, or news related images in another folder and open that one to the spiders.
2. Image File Names:
If it's a picture of a purple widget, name it purple-widget.jpg, rather than leaving it whatever your camera or photo editing software wants to name it. Hint: Use dashes between the words, rather than underscores.
3. Use the Alt Attribute of the IMG tag:
Make sure you are using the "alt" attribute of the image tag. Hint: Utilizing the alt attribute also helps visitors who do not run with images on, as well as visitors with disabilities that utilize screen readers to understand what the web page is about.
4. Use a Caption By Your Image:
Placing a small caption directly under, on top or on the side of your image will help queue the search engines what the image is about. Hint: With a caption, you can be a little more descriptive about the picture than with the alt attribute, but again, make it flow natural.
5. Include Images With Articles, & Press Releases:
If you are sending out an article or a press release, don't forget to include an image, or a url to an image that the news outlets can utilized for their version of your news. Hint: Adding images to articles and press releases makes them more appealing to the reader.