Introduction
Images are an important part of your overall website. Without them your site would look bland and boring. Causing users to go elsewhere.
Imagine what the web would look like if we had absolutely no images, just plain text. We understand it can be a drag searching for original images for every post.
You may be tempted to reuse other pages’ images across your site. Before you do there are few things you should know so you understand the potential downsides of doing that.
In this article by the Cindtoro team we will cover if using other pages’ Images on your Website will Hurt SEO? And what you should take into consideration.
How Search Engines View and Understand Images
A search engine does not have eyes like humans do. They do not possess the ability to read what an image is about like we are capable of. Instead they “see” images using web attributes that help them with their understanding.
They rely on four different items. We’ll break down each one for you the are, file names, image captions, and alt text and surrounding text.
File Names
File names are one of the most important aspects of Image SEO. This is because when an image is crawled a search engine will use the file name to infer what the image is about. For files names to be optimal for SEO the name should be descriptive.
Alt Text
Next on the list is image alt text, this attribute is particularly important because it helps to tell the search engine what the image is about. Alt text is a best practice of web accessibility. There are some things that you should think about before adding alt text such as avoiding keyword stuffing and considering how many keywords to use.
Since a search engine cannot read like humans can it will look at the alt text of the image to understand what it is about and without clearly written alt text a search engine cannot understand the image.
By not using alt text you are also posing harm to users who rely on screen readers to understand what an image is about.
Here is an example of good and bad alternative text:
Image Captions
Image captions is the text contained under an image that helps a user understand the image is directly related to. So for example if you have a dog eating dog food you could have the caption be something like: “Fluffy the dog eating its food on a Sunday morning”. OR you can just look above at our use of the image caption.
You may be wondering what the differences are between alt text and image captions so here you go!
Creating quality alt text is similar to writing a caption for an image, but the two are still different. Image captions are pieces of text that display on the screen (normally under an image like above). Whereas alternate text is read aloud when someone uses assistive technology like a screen reader. Alt text is hidden out of sight to the user.
Surrounding Text
This one may come as a surprise to some people but the surrounding text of an image is also an important factor to consider. Google and other search engines will look at where an image is placed in relation to the text that surrounds it to determine what an image is likely about.
As you take all four of these factors into account they add up to affecting your website’s SEO.
A Look into Google’s Image Search Algorithm
Google ranks websites based on their complicated and ever changing ranking algorithm this is a key process to how Google Search works. At this current time there are 200 known Google Ranking Factors.
In 2021 Search Engine Roundtable reported that Google’s image search algorithm prioritizes fresh visuals and reduces duplicate image display.
So, if you want to improve your search ranking and get your website to show up as high as possible you should avoid stuffing your pages with identical photos.
Answering The Question: Does Using Other Pages’ Images in Your Website Hurt SEO?
Yes, using other pages’ Images throughout your website hurts SEO. There are a few reasons why this happens, all of which will dive into at length. We have grouped these issues into three key categories where we will dive deep into each one.
The Risks Of Using Other Pages’ Images: SEO, UX, Legal & More
So, now that you know using other pages images will hurt your SEO Why do these things happen, what are the what are the downsides to reusing images across your website? Too many to count…lets jump into the first one.
Duplicate Content
Duplicate content may sound a bit strange in the context of images at first glance but once we explain why it will all make sense.
Remember how we were talking about the 4 key ways Google reads images? Those same ways will be your downfall if you duplicate images.
When an image is created it is seen as a unique item. However the instant an image is copied it is seen as as a duplicate image / duplicate content and will affect SEO.
This happens because you accidentally recreate all of the alt text, image captions, file names, and any other attributes you decided to add.
The negative impacts then extend into the search engine results which floods Google image search with copies of stuff it does not need and gets your site demoted by the algorithm we touched on above.
User Experience
The duplication of your web pages images will then lead to user experience issues. When a search engine crawler reads your website they look at the file name and alt text as previously talked about.
When they come across one or multiple of your images they read the original alt text and file name. They can then check to see if the text appears elsewhere and demote the content. (showing it to less people) The information inside of images should match the content of the page that it is on. This becomes an issue when you want to write unique and original content.
Legal Considerations
There are also legal considerations: borrowing images without proper rights can lead to a few things such as DMCA takedown notices, legal fees and or cease-and-desist letters as well as a loss of credibility.
Other Issues to Consider
In addition to the main SEO issues that take place seeing the same image used on 20 other blogs or webpages doesn’t inspire trust. It is also a terrible idea for web design. What are some of these other isseus you will deal with when you duplicate images?
Failure To Build brand recognition
When you reuse images from other webpages and do not create your own you are missing out on an opportunity to create enhanced brand recognition for your company. Google Image SEO is a great way to drive additional traffic to your website.
Lack of Effort Signals Low Authority
When it comes to the world of SEO effort is one of the most important things you can do. Googles main goal is to show the best website to a user regardless of what their search query is about. Low quality images or taking the lazy way out and duplicating content you already have will only hurt you in the long run.
You Are Not Supporting Google’s E-E-A-T framework
Finally, as you reuse imagery across your website you are failing to support Google’s (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) or E-E-A-T guidlines. This further contributes to all of the above mentioned things and makes your SEO take a hit with lower rankings.
When is it okay to reuse website images?
You are probably wondering is there ever a time to re-use images? that answer is surprisingly Yes! Let’s dive into when you should use other forms of imagery.
Legally licensed stock photos (e.g. Unsplash, Adobe Stock)
Stock Photos are perfectly fine to use, however the use of them will make your website look like everyone else’s boring and bland. If you are going to use them just know that you will likely struggle in Google image search because you are not offering any real value to your user-base.
Edit stock photos to make them more original
If you still want to use stock photos and don’t mind the potential downsides of them. Take steps to edit them You can crop them, adjust the colors or add text overlays to make them more original for your website. This will help the images better fit your website and perform better in image search.
Host the image on your own server – avoid hotlinking
Hotlinking is the practice of linking directly to another website’s imagery. This is bad because it steals resources away from the websites server you are linking from.
If you wish to use an image from another website like you should download and host that image on your own server. You should also cite the provider of the original image.
Pair reused images with original content and copy
If you have made it all the way to this point and decide to reuse images on your website then you should create new original content as well as new copy for every image you reuse. This will help ensure a positive user experience for search engines and users.
Original vs. Stock Images vs. AI Images: Which Wins?
There are three different types of images that can be used in the creation and design of websites. We believe it is important to break down the different types of imagery so you can make the best choice for your situation.
Original
Original images will always be the absolute best option for your website. This is because the barrier to entry is high. The time investment here required is large but the payoff will be equally important.
Stock Photos
If you do not have the time or resources required to create original custom images this is another good option for those who want to add extra imagery to their website. Stock photos have their downsides mainly they feel generic and are often over used.
AI-Generated Photos
Ai-generated website images are getting better by the day. They are stylish to a certain point and are customizable after they are created. They do open the door for unexpected visuals or licensing issues be mindful of that if you choose this option.
We also recommend reading does GPT text harm your website?
Original vs. Stock Images vs. AI Images – A Broken Down Comparison
| Image Type | SEO Value | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original Images | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Unique, builds trust, enhances authority | Time-consuming, requires creative resources |
| Stock Photos | ⭐⭐ | Quick, easy to find, low-cost | Generic, may be overused by others |
| AI-Generated | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Customizable, semi-unique, scalable | Risk of odd visuals, possible licensing concerns |
Conclusion
So, in summary yes reusing images can hurt your SEO and in more ways than one! It is still possible to utilize images from other webpages BUT you should do so thoughtfully and weight the options prior to doing so. If you want to have the highest impact on your SEO and rankings original custom created images are the hand down best way to go if you have the time, energy, and money to create them.
If you need help creating custom images for your websites or other brand assets or you want Cindtoro to fix your SEO reach out to a member of our team for more information.