The Importance of Naming Images in WordPress: Tips and Best Practices

As a web designer, you know that images are an essential part of any website. They help make your content more engaging and visually appealing, and can even improve your SEO. However, one mistake that many WordPress designers make is neglecting to name their images. In this post, we’ll explain why naming images is so important and share some tips and best practices for doing so.

Why You Should Name Your Images in WordPress

1. Improves SEO: When you name your images with relevant, descriptive keywords, it can help your website rank higher in search engine results. Search engines use the file names of images as one of the signals to understand what the image is about and how it relates to the content on the page.
2. Helps with Accessibility: For people who use assistive technology like screen readers, descriptive image names are crucial for understanding the context and meaning of images. By naming your images with descriptive text, you make your website more accessible to everyone.
3. Makes Organization Easier: When you name your images with descriptive text, it’s easier to find and manage them in your WordPress media library. This can save you time and help you stay organized as your website grows.

Tips and Best Practices for Naming Images in WordPress

1. Use Descriptive Text: When you name your images, use descriptive text that accurately describes the content of the image. Avoid using generic names like “IMG_1234.jpg” or “screenshot.png.” Instead, use descriptive names like “red-convertible-car.jpg” or “contact-form-screenshot.png.”
2. Use Hyphens to Separate Words: When you use multiple words in your image name, separate them with hyphens (-) instead of spaces. This makes it easier for search engines to understand the separate words in your image name and can improve your SEO.
3. Keep It Short and Sweet: While descriptive names are important, you don’t want to make them too long. Aim for a name that’s no more than a few words long, so it’s easy to remember and type.
4. Be Consistent: To make your images easier to find and manage, try to be consistent with your naming conventions. For example, you might use the format “keyword1-keyword2.jpg” for all of your product images.

We get it, you’re in a hurry and just want to get the image placed on the website so you can move on to other tasks. This is hurting your client in so many ways. Just take the extra two seconds it takes to name your image and reap the benefits of great SEO and so much more.

Conclusion

Naming your images in ways that you and search engines can find them may seem like a small detail that doesn’t matter, but it can have a huge impact on your website’s SEO, accessibility, and organization. By following these tips and best practices, you can ensure that your WordPress website is optimized for both users and search engines. In the end, it really is common sense.