How to use images on your blog

To spice up your blog posts, it’s important to add images. Images add interest, color, and even more understanding to the reader of the information you are trying to convey.

But there is a lot to know about using images to make sure you get the most out of them on your blog.

Understand copyright laws

You can’t find any image you want by googling and using it. It is important to understand how copyright works. Read the fine print no matter where you find the image, so get permission and give proper credit.

Where to find images

You can purchase royalty-free images from stock photo sites such as iStockPhoto.com and stockfresh.com, or you can find free images at morguefile.com. These are just some examples. Royalty-free does not mean that an image is free; it just means you can pay once, and if you use it according to the license agreement, you don’t have to pay per view.

Format images correctly

You want to make sure your images aren’t too large to absorb bandwidth and cause your pages to load too slowly.

Make sure your images relate

Adding images to your blog posts, if you choose well, will bring your blog posts to life for your audience. If the image advances the story of your blog post, it will mean a lot. They say a picture is worth 1000 words, and it’s true if you choose well.

Add “ALT” tags to your images

Many bloggers think that tags are outdated and unnecessary, but if you want Google to properly index your images, you will need to add the alt tags, as well as a good description, using keywords that fit your website and blog post.

Keep images on your own server

It’s tempting to host images on another server due to space, but it’s best if you host your blog images on the same server. If you use WordPress, just upload them to the media section to ensure fast image loading.

Use screenshots or create your own images

Sometimes the best images are the ones you create yourself using screenshots. This is especially true if you are creating a how-to post that needs images to help guide the reader of the blog post to follow the directions carefully. You can easily create your own images by taking photos with your phone and using software such as Canva.com to edit the image and post it on your blog.

Be consistent

It can be difficult to be consistent about how your blog posts are distributed if you don’t create a guide for yourself (and for others if you have guest bloggers). But you don’t want to confuse your readers by making your website look cluttered out of order. Try to place images logically in each blog post.