Choose a picture that adds context, describe it accurately and keep its rights information attached.
Choose relevance before optimisation
A picture should have an understandable connection to the subject. A real photograph of an industrial process can explain a manufacturing story; an unrelated glossy office may add little. If the image is contextual stock photography, say so rather than implying that it shows the company or event. The same principle applies to generated illustrations: a realistic appearance does not turn an illustration into documentary evidence.
Write alternatives for the reader
Alternative text should convey the useful visual information in context. Avoid filling it with search phrases that the image does not depict. A caption can add location, source or the reason the image is included. Keep rights and credit information close to the image or in a clearly accessible record. This makes the asset easier to maintain and reduces confusion when it is reused.
A useful image lifecycle
Select
Choose a relevant, usable visual.
Describe
Write accurate alt text and a caption.
Deliver
Use suitable dimensions and loading.
Maintain
Verify links, credits and previews.
Deliver a usable file
Use an appropriate image size and format for the page, preserve the intended crop and reserve space so the layout does not jump while the image loads. Check the image on a narrow screen as well as a desktop. A technically valid file can still be a poor choice if important details become unreadable in the actual article layout.
Check the complete publication path
Confirm that the image loads on the public page and that social previews reference the intended cover. Review broken-image reports and retain the source record when assets are replaced. Google’s image guidance provides technical context, but there is no substitute for looking at the published result. A useful image system connects editorial choice, accessibility, performance and accurate attribution in one repeatable workflow.
Sources
- Google Search Central — source and reference material ↗ Google Search Central · Primary source
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