Search engine optimization, often abbreviated as SEO, is a key factor in being successful online. It is, in essence, an art of making a website highly visible and easily accessible, with the goal of increasing the number of visitors to a website. This process encompasses a multitude of techniques and skillsets, ranging from HTML coding to off-page link building. But one of the most important elements of SEO is incorporating images strategically and skillfully.

When it comes to adding images to a website, there are several reasons why doing so is important. Not only can it make content more visually appealing - especially if the visitor’s preferred method of reading content is by consuming images - but it can also be used as a SEO tool, helping to draw more web traffic. Here are names of techniques some webmasters use to ensure their website’s images are optimized for search engines.

First, image size is key. Images that contain large amounts of data can reduce loading times, making them less likely to be seen by a web crawler and potentially decreasing a page’s SEO value. Using file types such as .JPG and .PNG is best - other file types, such as .GIF, can greatly reduce the clarity of images, making them less appealing to visitors and reducing the chances of them being seen.

Second, it is important to use descriptive and strategic names for images that are used on your website. Instead of naming a file “Image001”, for example, it is beneficial to name them something more descriptive, such as “blue-mountains.jpeg”, so that when a web crawler scans the image it is easier to identify what the image contains. This will also help reinforce the overall content of the website.

Third, alt and title attributes are important. These are keywords that are relevant to the site’s content and display when a user’s mouse is rolled over an image. Utilizing alt and title attributes when adding images to a website will help improve the site’s visibility to search engines, as well as make the website easier to use.

Lastly, be sure to compress images whenever possible. Compression will drastically reduce the size of images without losing quality or clarity, making them easier to download and ultimately improving website speed - making visitors more likely to stay and click around.

Adding images to a website is an important part of the SEO process. By utilizing these strategies, the chances of improving a website’s visibility to search engines and visitors alike will grow significantly. As more websites are competing for attention and ranking, utilizing SEO images is becoming an increasingly important factor in SEO success.