Advertising your dental clinic in today’s digital market is not as hard as you might think. As someone who lacks the basic knowledge in these online technical aspects, you just have to remember that the internet is intuitive and user-friendly.

You just have to be willing to learn and take the first step. And, in the 21st century, the best way to connect with patients in the digital world is by developing a clinic website. This virtual space will serve as your receptionist's office, where patients can contact you directly for appointments, queries, and consultations.

However, not every website will receive the same amount of exposure on the internet as hundreds of other dental clinics will be vying for that top spot. As search engine algorithms crawl and assess websites based on a dozen of factors, one of which is image optimization, you have to invest in it to stand out. 

Importance of Image Optimization

Google’s algorithms, with its aim to provide the best results to every query, tend to be very selective with the websites that they want to highlight in the top SERP. For you to gain visibility and online influence, you have to optimize every aspect of your website.

Among the most important factors that need to be prioritized are your image elements, as they can create rippling effects on the performance of your website. From improved user experience, faster loading speed, increased accessibility, and better website authority, this simple upgrade can level up your website right away.

How does it do it? Well, for example, if you have bloated images that have large bytes that have been formatted incorrectly, you might end up with loading errors, and crashes, which could annoy customers and deter them from continuing. 

Taking the time to reformat images to their best quality can be time-consuming and difficult if you’re new to it. Luckily you can always contact expert SEO services in Richmond Hill.

6 Image Optimization Tips

Improving your website’s technical aspects by yourself can be challenging. Especially with image optimization, when one misstep can disrupt the entire system. As a practicing dentist, focusing on such matters may be daunting. However, with these easy intuitive tips, you too can optimize your website images and improve your digital market performance:

• Pick the Most Appropriate Format
  

From JPEG, PNG, GIF, and more, there are different ways to format a photo online. Though each type has its own benefits and disadvantages, most SEO services from Richmond Hill will recommend you to use JPEG or PNG. The preference for this image type is due to its higher compatibility with other devices and formats, and more versatility when it comes to showing more colours. 

This is especially useful for dental websites as you will need to fully differentiate before and after pics of your client’s teeth. Without enough definition, the change may not be that obvious. Overall, when using images for blogs and screenshots, it’s best to use JPEG, while for logos, icons, and pics that need to be zoomed in, go with PNG. 

• Compress Image Files
  

Large image files with high definition or larger pixel content tend to get a longer time to load and show up on websites. Fortunately, you can get around this, by compressing your images to a smaller file. 

There are 2 ways that you can do this – lossy and lossless. However, the former tends to lose some of the image data while the latter doesn’t. Lossless images are usually formatted in PNG format. It’s also important to note that when you’re compressing image files, the size and quality should still be maintained to avoid blurriness. 

• Add in Alt Text Description
  

In the form of short pieces of text, alt text descriptions are used by website developers to describe the image being used in the website. Its purpose is to provide readers with a summary of what the picture is, while search engine algorithms use them to evaluate the relevance of your content. 

To take advantage of this, you should utilize keywords in your alt descriptions. So, if you’ve posted a picture of denture products on your website, use the complete alt description including the location like “full dentures London Ontario” to make it more precise and easier for algorithms to find you. 

• Optimize Image Descriptions
  

Image descriptions don't stop with alt texts only. It also includes image titles and names, which do not directly affect your search ranking but will make it easier for search engines to track down your content. 

This way, when someone searches for “dental implants in Sarnia” (if you’ve placed this keyword into your title) it will show up along the first SERP of your potential clients. Though it’s also okay not to put an image title, as it can be time-consuming when your content is picture-heavy, doing that extra bit of effort can go a long way. 

• Prioritize Mobile Compatibility

Images that have been compressed incorrectly will tend to crash when customers try to access your website on a different device. To prevent this, you can run your website in Google’s mobile-friendly test software that allows you to evaluate your website’s performance on Android phones, tablets, and iPhones. 

And, if you ever detect any errors, fix them right away by reformatting the image. However, if you’re unfamiliar with this, you can contact SEO services from Richmond Hill or trusted SEO companies for help. 

• Utilize Schema Markup
  

Search engines tend to be very strict when it comes to choosing the websites that they tag as relevant, and those who deserve the coveted spot in the first SERP. One of their parameters in choosing has something to do with how your data and codes have been organized.

The better coded your website is, the easier it will be for algorithms to comprehend your data. To do this, you can use the schema markup format, where you can list the most integral information of your image elements. This simple upgrade can work wonders on your dental website as it can significantly boost its authority and ranking. 

Both search engines and audiences will tend to gravitate towards online content that has a visual representation. Long blocks of texts tend to get boring very quickly, so images and gifs can be useful to stimulate other senses and simplify information. 

As a dental website, whose operations and content may tend to get serious and jargon-filled, these images can help you boost your customer engagement. It can also help in showing before and after comparisons for potential clients. However, you should follow these tips to make sure that these added elements will do more good than harm.