The non-BS guide to writing image file names for SEO (VIDEO included!)
By Kristie Parker
You know how when you were a kid and you needed a Wilson Phillips CD but your parents made you earn it so you socked away couch change and took out the trash for a quarter and eventually got the $11.99 you needed to go nuts at Sam Goody?
Well SEO’s like that.
Meaning small efforts build up to big results.
SEO seems like a big mystery because it’s not as simple as “do this one thing and you’ll rank #1” but by doing a whole bunch of small things, and because SEO is a long game, you can slowly climb your way higher in search results.
When it comes to improving your website’s SEO, renaming your image files won’t catapult you to page 1, but it’s a quick and easy step that, coupled with image alt text can enhance your site’s visibility in search engine results.
~Bonus~ it’ll keep your website images organized which will make your website designer think you’re an absolute delight!
Using descriptive titles adds clarity and context to each image, making it easier to organize, place, and optimize them correctly on your site.
Here’s why it matters and how to do it right.
Why Renaming Images Is Important
Imagine you’re about to upload a smartphone photo to your website. If you leave the image file name as the default, like “IMG_1234.jpg,” you’re missing a crucial opportunity to help search engines understand what that image is about.
When search engines encounter a file name like this, it’s just a bunch of gibberish to them—there’s nothing for them to read or index. As a result, your image won’t contribute to your website’s SEO, meaning your site could be missing out on valuable traffic.
Instead, you want to rename your image files to something descriptive that includes keywords relevant to the image content and your business.
Think about what your potential customers might be typing into a search engine.
If you’re a local business, don’t forget to include your location in the file name as well.
Your website designer will think you’re an absolute delight
Using descriptive titles adds clarity and context to each image, making it easier to organize, place, and optimize them correctly on your site.
Plus, it gives the website designer a head start on setting up accessible alt text.
Make Your Images Accessible to Everyone
Renaming image files with descriptive terms can improve the experience for users who rely on screen readers.
Alt text is the primary way to describe images for accessibility, but if it’s missing or not properly descriptive, screen readers and search engines may fall back on the image file name.
So best practice is to rename your image so it can be understood by all.
How to Rename Your Images for SEO
Let’s say you have a photo of a historic hotel lobby located in Tampa. Here’s how you’d rename that file for maximum SEO benefit:
To rename an image file on your desktop, follow these steps:
1. Locate the Image: Find the image file on your desktop or in your folder.
2. Right-Click on the File: This will highlight the text.
3. Type the New Name: Enter your new, descriptive name, like tampa-historic-hotel-lobby.jpg.
4. Press Enter: This saves the new name.
Always use hyphens to separate words—Google reads them as spaces—so instead of TampaHistoricHotelLobby.jpg, choose tampa-historic-hotel-lobby.jpg.
Choose a short, relevant name (3-6 words) to keep it clear and impactful.
How to rename image files if you’ve already uploaded to DropBox
If you’ve already uploaded images to Dropbox but need to rename them, follow these steps:
1. Open Dropbox: Go to your Dropbox account online or open the Dropbox app.
2. Locate the Image: Find the folder with the image file you want to rename.
3. Click on the Three Dots (⋯): Hover over the file, and you'll see three dots appear next to it. Click on these dots to open a menu.
4. Select “Rename”: In the dropdown menu, choose the "Rename" option.
5. Enter the New File Name: Type your new, descriptive name for the image, such as tampa-historic-hotel-lobby.jpg.
6. Save the Changes: Press Enter or click anywhere outside the text box to save the new name.
Your image file is now renamed in Dropbox!
Rename Your Images Before Uploading to Your Website
Renaming your images before uploading them to your website is super important. Once an image is uploaded to your website’s media library and integrated into your site, it’s linked to that file name.
If you decide to change the file name later, it can cause broken links, slow down your site, and create a lot of unnecessary work.
By renaming your images before they’re uploaded, search engines have all the information they need to index your images correctly from the start.
This not only helps your images appear in relevant search results but also strengthens your website’s overall SEO.
You’re already on the SEO train. Why get off now? Check out this blog post on blogging or sneaky reason your website’s not showing up in search results. (If you’ve ever changed your business name, address or phone number you want to see this!)
Kristie Parker
Kristie is the co-owner of Bungalow Web Design. She pretends to be a real adult by writing copy for small business websites from her actual bungalow in Tampa, Florida. When she's not web designing, you can find her in the gym, air frying something, or tucking into a Joyce Carol Oates novel with a dirty martini and orange cat nearby.
Kristie Parker
Kristie is the co-owner of Bungalow Web Design. She pretends to be a real adult by writing copy for small business websites from her actual bungalow in Tampa, Florida. When she's not web designing, you can find her in the gym, air frying something, or tucking into a Joyce Carol Oates novel with a dirty martini and orange cat nearby.
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