There is a popular saying that An Image is worth a Thousand Words and I agree with that. Especially for a website or blog, the importance of using images cannot be over emphasized because; it does a lot of things to a blog.
However, in the current scenario when internet marketing is one prime marketing channel, you need to make sure you do everything well and for images; they not only contribute towards the beauty of your site but can also be used as a marketing tactic to scale up your site’s conversion rate provided you use them well. Using the relevant images in your blog posts will increase the engagement parameters of the blog, so whenever you think to start a blog using WordPress, always think to make it informative and engaging by using the images and help in the image optimization as well.
I’m sure majority of you know about this but even at that, I still see a lot of people that does not use images on their blog posts and the reason is what I don’t really know.
Now, you must agree with me that there are some people that prefer visual learning to any other form of learning and apart from videos, an image can also perform that because there are some images you will use while writing a blog post, it will not only beautify the article more but, it will also add more meaning to it and with it, readers will be able to comprehend the message you’re trying to pass along the more.
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There is also some photo sharing social networks out there like Pinterest and as you know, there main focus is on images and you will also agree with me that you can drive turns of traffic from such sites once your images are being shared so, why don’t you use interesting images on your posts to enable your readers bring you some traffic by sharing those images.
Using Images on Your Blog
In as much as it’s recommended to always use images on your blog posts, there are also the best ways to go about it and if you don’t do it right, you might be wasting your precious time because, the images might cause your site more harm than good.
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->Optimize the Images For Search Engines:
While uploading the image on your blog posts, ensure that you really optimized it for the search engines so that people can also find your posts via them. The best way to achieve this is by simply using your focus keyword as the title of the image and by also using the keyword as your ALT text (Alternate Text). It’s also advisable to have the focused keyword on the description of the image.
->Cut Down on Load time by Uploading the Exact Size you Need
: There is practically no need to have a 1000×1500 pixel image on your site in fact, that will be total madness. Therefore before uploading the image, ensure that it’s the exact size you need and, you must be aware that larger size images can slow down your site which is capable of turning your visitors off instantly.
->Cut Down the Size of The Image:
Just like the number 2 above, there are tools you can use to minimize the size of the images you intend to use in order to ensure that it does not take up much bandwidths to load.
There are a lot of other things there is when it comes to using images on your site which I cannot share here now. But, all I will advice you is to always use images on your blog posts and, be careful so that you will not use copyrighted images that can put you into trouble. Deposit Photos is the best place to find awesome images on your site so, doesn’t forget to check them out.
Thanks for reading and please, don’t forget to share your own opinion with us via the comment thread, let’s take the discussion further.
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John Gibb says
hi Theo
When I started blogging, I wasn’t used to adding images to my posts… now I won’t publish new articles without making use of beautiful, eye catching and relevant photos and images… this not only keeps visitors longer on the site, but also help with SEO, as you’ve already stated… just that most people don’t recognize their full power, until they start using ’em 🙂
I like PhotoDune.net for royalty free images and Picmonkey.com for image resizing/editing
Try them, and let me know what you think
Best!
Theodore Nwangene says
Thanks a lot for the visit John,
I really enjoy reading your comments here. The benefits an image can add to a blog post is quite enormous and, i thank God most bloggers is aware of that now. I’ve never heard of PhotoDune and Picmonkey before but, i will certainly give them a shot. Thanks once again for stopping by friend and, have fun :).
yourblogcoach says
Thanks for that wonderful speak in which i will call your post, because it sweetens me. But i’ll like you to do some more help for we upcoming bloogers like specifically highlighting how to upload images and fix the Alter text. i mean how to go about it. Many bloggers have talked about getting traffic from images but have not really explain in detail. Remember i just gave you a clue to your next article to write. But seriously i would love if you can do that for people who don’t know them. Have just tweeted your post… follow back. *wink*
Chadrack says
Am I seeing this differently? A blogging coach that is asking for help on how to upload images and fix the alt text? Or is that not “yourblogcoach ” that I see in your name? Why don’t you just use your real name so we can connect with you?
Theodore Nwangene says
Thanks for your response my man,
I don’t really know why people should be using keywords as their name, I’ve told him before to be using his name but, he don’t seem to understand. Thanks a lot for adding to the discussion Chadrack and, do have a splendid day.
Theodore Nwangene says
Ok Dear,
I will let you know how to do that later but, please always use your real name while commenting. I don’t accept the use of keywords in the name field here, it always appear as spam. Please, i will not approve your comment next time if you didn’t use your name. Hope you understands.
Thanks for your awesome contribution and, look forward for and answer to your question.
Harleena Singh says
Hi Theodore,
Wonderful post indeed 🙂
Oh yes, images speak a thousand words…and they really do! I guess that’s why I spend more time in looking for images and quotes, than I spend in writing the post itself. But that’s just the way I am because I love images and always want the apt ones to be there to go with the post. Usually I look up 6-7 sites and several pages before finalizing the ones I use on my blog.
I usually use FreeDigitalPhotos and a few other free ones as the size goes with my blog because some of them cannot be large ones that we can use. Depositphotos is a great site too, and likewise there are many others as well that we can use. I agree, you need to optimize your posts and be sure to reduce the size or else your blog will load pretty heavy.
Thanks for sharing. Have a nice week ahead 🙂
Theodore Nwangene says
Thanks Harleena for your valued comment as always,
Images really speaks a thousand words and I’m happy you know that too. I know you uses it very well on your posts and that is awesome. I also uses FreeDigitalPhotos and like them a lot too.
Just like you said, there are a lot of other image sites out there even the ones we’ve never heard of before 🙂 and, Depositphotos is really great. Yea, its always good to resize the images in order to reduce the loading time of our blogs.
Thanks a lot for stopping and, do have a nice week too :).
Martin says
Visual presentation is Must have thing to any blog. there is no point iof using words without opictures. IMHO
By the way I wrote and article some time about about where to get images. check it out)))
Theodore Nwangene says
Thanks Martin,
I really value your awesome contribution. I will certainly check out the post.
Manu Jamwal says
Thanks for sharing such great post here. I am glad to read this post here. Image is also one of the great source to make popular your blog site. Very informative.
Theodore Nwangene says
Thanks for your contribution Manu,
Really appreciate it and, please do visit us again :).
Manu says
It would be my pleasure dear..
Theodore Nwangene says
Ok Manu,thanks a lot 🙂
Gautam says
Awesome Information Buddy.. It’s great To know about Depositphotos.. thnxx
Theodore Nwangene says
You welcome Gautam
Perambur Kumar says
Simply superb post.
I am using my own images which are generated by Awesome Screenshot. Because I am using most of the images for my tutorials. So I am not finding any difficulties so far. Some times I use Google images. But with some fear of copyrights. LOL.
Yes, I agree with you totally, without image, the post looks horrible. Attractive images always enhance the post and readers love to read your post. Images and Videos both are integral part of any blog post
Theodore Nwangene says
Well spoken Kumar,
I also uses screen captures whenever I’m giving a tutorial on a particular topic too and its really amazing because, it will really drive the message home the more. I don’t use Google images, another free image site i uses is Freedigitalphotos.net, they also have lots of awesome photos. Thanks a lot for your valued comment, really great :).
prince says
Image is a great way to make a blog post look nice and it’s also a great way to drive visitors from search engines most especially when you use ALT TEXT for your images, because most internet surfers use image search on sites like google
Theodore Nwangene says
You’ve said it all Prince and, i sincerely agree with your points. Thanks a lot for the visit and for commenting. Really appreciate :). Please, do visit again.
Jacob Godspower says
thanks for the great information it really review the secret of blogging to me
Theodore Nwangene says
You welcome Jacob,
I’m glad you learnt something 🙂
Lisa says
Theodore, I never understood why some bloggers did not use images. They help to break up the post, make it easier to read and give more interest to the post as well. Some images are really important if you are doing a tutorial type of blog post. I find it hard to read through a post without an image. I have not heard of Deposit Photo’s, thanks for sharing them with us here. Good to know of another service. Have a great week Theodore!
Theodore Nwangene says
You’re most welcome Lisa,
It’s always advisable to use images on our blog posts and, i also finds it hard to read a post without an image, its always very boring. Thanks a lot for sharing in the discussion, really value your comments :).
Have a very beautiful days ahead and, pass my greetings to your family.
Christina Maria says
I do agree with you Theodore Nwangene, You are absolutely right with you words. Images are powerful & strong way to get attract visitors on website & Blog but some people don’t use Image’s in their post & due to this some people just visit & stay only in just sec so it’s a bad for Blog ! I understand every Blogger must use picture in their Blog.
Theodore Nwangene says
You’re right Maria and,
Thanks for visiting my blog. Images are so important for a blog post because, it will always add more meaning to it. Thanks a lot for taking your time to visit me today and, I’m happy to connect with you. Please do visit again.
dare says
Hi Theodore,
The use of images is an important factor both to the delight of the search engines and also to the end user ( reader).
Now, publishers need to understand that it is good to always upload a .png version of a picture on your blog than the likes of JPEG. The simple reason to this is: png images are lighter in weight and size than jpg images; jpg images are mostly used in the print medium industry.
Theodore Nwangene says
Thanks for the awesome point of yours Dare,
I never knew of that of that before but, I’ve been using .png all the while though and glad for that. Thanks a lot for visiting my site Dare, please do drop by again next time. Have a great day.
Jan Koch says
Hi Theodore,
thanks for emphasizing the importance of images in blogs.
I agree, that most bloggers should definitely use images, though there are some very special exceptional bloggers who don’t need images at all.
Take a look at Leo Babauta for example. His blog is purely genius, even though he doesn’t use images. I think the reason for this is because he has the ability to write truly engaging content.
I really love his site design, since it focusses only on the content (and that’s most important to the reader).
It’s a change in the mindset that I’m recognizing over and over again. I believe that in the past time a lot of people focussed on a sketchy design rather than on providing value and I’m glad to see this behaviour change.
So most people will benefit from using (the right) images and some exceptional bloggers will publish awesome content without any images.
Another very interesting image resource is photopin.com. It’s a FlickR search engine, that’s searching for photos licensed for commercial use.
Thanks for sharing this article, your tips are really important when it comes to SEO 🙂
All the best!
Theodore Nwangene says
Thanks a lot for this awesome comment of you Jan,
I don’t know Leo and have never visited his site before but, using images on his site will certainly add more value to it. I’ve not heard of photopin before as well but, will surely take a look at it. Thanks a lot for stopping by and, do enjoy the remaining of your week Jan :).
Jan Koch says
Hi Theodore,
Leo Babauta is the host of zenhabits.net.
His blog is very minimalistic, he’s teaching how to introduce habits into your life that are beneficial for you and your business. I really love his blog, though his habits are not always for me.
A good advice that I can give you for photopin is that you sometimes have to digg deep and try several search terms to find a good picture. Most of my pictures are from that site, you get a good feeling over time which terms bring up good images and which don’t.
Hope you have a great rest of the week as well 🙂
Theodore Nwangene says
Thanks for giving me the link Jan,
I will certainly check it out. Have a wonderful weekend ahead
Susan Velez says
I just found your site and am always looking for new images that I can use for my site. I will have to check out some of the ones that are listed here. Thanks for the post.
I try to put an image in every post. I think it makes reading the post easier.
Theodore Nwangene says
I’m so glad that you found the post Useful Susan,
Thanks a lot for taking your time to visit my blog and please, do come again. Enjoy the remaining of your week 🙂
Cassie says
This is a great post. Very informative and very relevant. Bloggers would probably love to read this. Thank you for sharing this.
Theodore Nwangene says
Thanks Cassie,
I really appreciate the compliments. Thanks for the visit too
Chadrack says
A really nice post here. I think it is the need for good images for bloggers that more and more stock image sites are coming up these days. Of course, Pinterest has made it even more important for us to put images on our site. Will definitely check this site out and see what I can do about it. Thanks for sharing!
Theodore Nwangene says
I’m glad you like the post and agree with what i said Chadrack,
Thanks a lot for your amazing comment as always and, this is wishing you a productive days ahead :).
Sergio Felix says
Hey Theodore, really great resource for images man although I normally create my own and play around with them just so I can establish myself more as the brand for my site.
Is this site based on credits or on images, any information on the actual costs?
Sergio
Theodore Nwangene says
Hey Man,
I know you’re a one kind creative nigger so, i know you create your own images :). I’m glad you like the post. DepositPhotos is based on premium images, don’t know if that’s what you asked?
Thanks a lot for the visit my man 🙂
Susan Neal says
Great tips, Theodore. I couldn’t agree with you more about the importance of using images – posts without them can be look dry and boring. Images make your content much more inviting.
I mainly use Flickr images on my blog, as I have a plugin that pulls them in, so it’s very easy and also saves me hosting the images on my blog. For paid images I’ve used mainly Bigstockphoto – I think they’re quite reasonably priced and have a good selection. If I need to resize an image I use Paint.net, which is quick and easy to use.
Sue
Theodore Nwangene says
Thanks a lot Sue,
I’m happy you like the post and agreed with what I’m saying. Images are really necessary in a blog post and I’m happy you know this too :). Please, i will like to know the plugin you’re using to get your images. Is it Photodropper?
Thanks a lot for your wonderful opinion.
Susan Neal says
Hi Theodore,
The plugin I use is called PushButton SEO – it helps with on-page SEO as well as pulling in images from Flickr, Videos from You-Tube, and lots of other stuff.
Sue
Theodore Nwangene says
Thanks a lot Sue,
I haven’t heard of PushButton before but, i will certainly check it out. Thanks for the response
Obasi Miracle says
Theodore, you have really made valid input while we need use images in every of our blog post, Previously I was at the forefront of those few bloggers there who published articles without images, owing to my addiction to tech and techy stuff and due to my personal hatred for visuals.
But I have come to learn that posting without images does not only make the post less-attractive but can also rob you of few more traffic.
I have followed the recommended links and must say also that they ‘ve gat great designs and could server me for a long time
Thanks for sharing
Theodore Nwangene says
Thank you so much for your candid opinion Miracle,
I’m glad you agree with what i said and I’m also happy you already know the benefits of using images on our blog posts. Thanks a lot for the visit
Sunil Gupta says
You are right Theodore, In 2013 we have to think about the users, audience not just funning things for search engines only. Images make posts more attractive and increase conversion as well. I personally use flickr with proper credit link in respect of original
Theodore Nwangene says
Thanks Sunil,
I really appreciate the visit and, I’m happy you already know the value of images and you’re already making use of it. Flickr is also a good image resource. Thanks for the visit and please, do come again.
Martin says
There are so many free stock photo websites out there that it really is silly not to add images to your articles. They help so much in the presentation of the articles for the reader. I make this a must for my blog articles. It just adds so much more in my opinion and competes the blog.
Thanks for sharing this, hopefully those who do not use images currently will adopt the method and improve their blogs.
Theodore Nwangene says
You’re welcome Martin,
It’s really very essential that we use images on our blog posts and, anyone that is not already utilizing its benefits is just missing it.
I’m glad that you agree with my points Martin, thanks a lot and enjoy your weekend 🙂
Dan Black says
Hello Theodore Nwangene,
I agree, it’s a good idea to use images on a site or blog post. I’ve noticed that it draws people into reading the post or staying on the site. I’d say a good post title and picture are essential to capitalize on the traffic. Great thoughts!
Theodore Nwangene says
Thanks Dan,
And, I also agree with all you said. Thanks for coming.