Images and videos can make a page easier to understand, easier to trust, and more useful. They can show details that text alone struggles to explain, such as a product angle, a repair step, a chart, a before-and-after result, or a short demonstration.
They can also slow a page down, distract visitors, or create accessibility problems when they are added without care.
Good media supports the purpose of the page. It helps the visitor understand the topic faster, gives search engines more context, and improves the experience without pushing the main answer out of reach.
For page-level SEO basics, you may also want Tech Help Canada’s on-page SEO checklist.
Start With the Page Purpose
Before adding an image or video, decide what job it should do. A useful image might show a product, explain a process, compare two options, support a statistic, break up a long article, or add trust through real people, work, locations, or results.
A useful video might demonstrate a task, answer a complex question faster than text, walk through a tool, show a service process, summarize a product, or build trust through a real explanation.
If the media does not help the visitor, it may not belong on the page. Decorative media can still work, but it should not slow the page, bury useful content, or make the page feel generic.
| Page type | Useful media | Media that usually adds less value |
|---|---|---|
| Service page | Real project photos, process video, team or equipment photos | Generic stock photos unrelated to the service |
| Product page | Multiple product angles, dimensions, setup video, detail shots | Lifestyle photos where the product is hard to inspect |
| Tutorial | Step photos, screen recordings, diagrams, short demonstrations | Decorative images that do not explain a step |
| Local business page | Location photos, staff photos, project examples, service area context | Images that could belong to any business anywhere |
The more specific the media is to the page, the more useful it usually becomes.
Image SEO Basics
Image SEO is the process of making images useful for visitors, accessible to assistive technology, and understandable to search engines. It includes the image itself, the file name, alt text, surrounding copy, page topic, image size, and loading behavior.
Search engines can process images, but they also rely on context. An image that appears near a related heading, paragraph, product detail, or step is easier to understand. A photo of a finished basement renovation should sit near the section about that project or service, not far away under unrelated copy.
Use standard page images for meaningful media rather than hiding important visuals as background styling. Background images can be fine for design, but if the image communicates something important, it should be available in a way visitors and assistive technology can use.
Choose Images That Add Meaning
The strongest image is usually specific to the page. A contractor page is stronger with real project photos than a generic photo of tools. A recipe page is stronger with step photos than a random finished dish. A software tutorial is stronger with annotated screenshots than a stock photo of someone using a laptop.
Use images to answer practical questions. What does this look like? How does this work? Which option is better? Can I trust this business? What should I expect next?
Stock images are not automatically bad. They can work for abstract ideas, placeholders, or situations where custom photography is not practical. The problem is using stock images as a substitute for substance. A page about your team should show your team. A page about your work should show your work. A product page should show the product.
Use Descriptive File Names
Before uploading an image, give the file a readable name. ottawa-roof-repair-before-after.jpg is more useful than IMG_4829.jpg because it describes the image.
File names should be short, accurate, and readable. Use lowercase words separated by hyphens. Do not repeat keywords or add locations that are not accurate. For product images, include product details that help identify the item. For local service images, include the service or location only when it reflects the actual photo.
A good file name does not replace alt text, captions, or page copy. It is one small signal in a larger set of context.
Write Helpful Alt Text
Alt text describes an image for people who use screen readers and for situations where the image does not load. It also gives search engines context.
Good alt text describes what is shown and how the image supports the page. Technician replacing a damaged garage door spring in a residential garage is much more useful than garage door garage door repair best garage door repair.
Do not stuff keywords into alt text. Do not write “image of” or “picture of” unless that wording is needed for clarity. Screen readers already treat it as an image.
Some images are decorative. If an image adds no meaning, it may need empty alt text so assistive technology can skip it. For most article, product, and service page images, describe the image in a natural way.
For more detail, see Tech Help Canada’s article on alt text and alternative text.
Put Media Near Relevant Text
Images and videos should sit near the content they support. This helps visitors connect the media to the explanation and gives search engines more context.
Captions can help when the image needs extra explanation. They are useful for charts, screenshots, before-and-after images, process photos, and visuals where the meaning is not obvious at a glance.
The surrounding copy matters too. If an image shows a product feature, explain that feature nearby. If a video demonstrates a repair process, include text that summarizes the steps or answers common questions.
Media should not interrupt the reader at random. Place it where it supports the next decision or explanation.
Compress Images Before They Slow the Page
Oversized images are one of the most common reasons pages feel slow. A photo from a phone or camera may be far larger than the layout needs. Uploading the full-size file can waste bandwidth and delay the main content.
Resize images to the display size you actually need, compress them before or during upload, use modern formats where your site supports them, and avoid placing several huge images above the first visible screen. Responsive image sizes also help smaller screens avoid downloading files meant for large desktop layouts.
Set image width and height where your platform allows it. This helps the browser reserve space and reduces layout movement while the page loads.
Performance is part of on-page SEO because slow pages frustrate visitors and can limit engagement. Media should make the page more useful, not heavier than it needs to be.
Video SEO Basics
Video SEO helps visitors and search engines find, understand, and use video content on your page. The practical goal is simple: make the video easy to find, support it with useful text, provide a strong thumbnail, and make sure the page itself can be indexed when it should appear in search.
A video should match the same intent as the page. If the page teaches how to choose a bookkeeping service, the video could explain questions to ask before hiring. If the page sells a service, the video could explain the process, show proof, or answer common objections. If the page is a tutorial, the video could demonstrate the steps.
Do not add a video just because video feels modern. A weak video can slow the page and distract visitors. A focused video can increase trust and make the page easier to use.
Use Transcripts, Summaries, and Strong Thumbnails
A transcript turns spoken content into text that visitors and search engines can read. It helps people who prefer reading, people who cannot listen at the moment, assistive technology users, and search engines trying to understand the video topic.
You do not always need a full transcript for every short embedded video. If the video contains substantial advice, instructions, product details, or expert commentary, text support makes the page stronger. At minimum, include a short written summary near the video so visitors know what it covers.
The thumbnail is the preview image for the video. It affects whether people watch. A good thumbnail is relevant, easy to understand at a small size, consistent with the page topic, and not misleading.
Avoid auto-playing videos with sound. Many visitors find that intrusive, especially on mobile or in a public setting.
Watch the Page Speed Cost
Videos can be heavy. Embedded players, scripts, thumbnails, and tracking code can slow a page.
Use video carefully near the top of the page. If the main reason people visit is to watch the video, it may belong near the top. If the video supports the written content, place it lower and avoid loading heavy players before they are needed.
For several videos on one page, ask whether each one earns its place. A focused page with one strong video often works better than a page crowded with embeds.
Tech Help Canada’s article on website page speed for SEO can help you connect media choices to performance.
Common Image and Video Mistakes
Huge files are one of the easiest mistakes to fix. Resize and compress media before relying on the website to handle it.
Generic images are another common issue. If several pages use the same stock image, the media stops adding value. Use visuals that match the page’s topic.
Keyword-stuffed alt text can hurt readability and accessibility. Alt text should describe the image, not repeat the target phrase.
Media can also fail when it is hidden from crawlers or visitors. If meaningful content only appears after a user action or behind a script that search engines cannot process well, it may not support the page as intended.
Finally, avoid letting media push the main answer too far down. If a visitor needs a quick answer, do not make them scroll past a large decorative image or unrelated video before reaching it.
Practical Next Steps
Pick one page that already gets traffic or supports a business goal. Review every image and video on that page.
Ask whether each media item helps the visitor, matches the page, has useful text support, loads efficiently, and appears near the right explanation. Then fix the biggest issues first. Compress oversized images, improve weak alt text, remove media that does not help, add captions where they clarify the image, and support substantial videos with summaries or transcripts.
Images and videos should make a page more useful, not heavier or more confusing. Use them to explain, prove, demonstrate, and support the next step.
You can keep building your on-page SEO skills with Tech Help Canada’s free SEO training.
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