Images indexed by google can be a great source of traffic for bloggers.Although this fact is known among many SEO experts, your average blogger would not be aware of this.

I am sure all of you are aware of google image search which retrieves pictures relating to a query you provide. Well, the rules involved in indexing images in google are irrelevant to the ranking method used for your text. Since image results are based on assumptions, even the smallest of websites can stay ahead of large corporations in this area.

In the past, Google was  hesitant in disclosing information about the method in which they rank images, much like the way they keep their search algorithms a secret. However during a SES convention in chicago, a group of analyists provided some insights into optimizing your images for Google Image search.

» Place text around images not inside image files. Search engines for the most part are not capable of reading text inside of images. If the image is directly related to the text you are using, then google should be able to display your image more accuratly.

» Take advantage of alt tags for all of your images. Make sure the alt text is descriptive and unique. For instance, alt text such as “picture1″ or “logo” doesn’t provide much information about the image. “Charting the path of stock x” and “Company Y” give more details.

» Don’t overload your alt text. Be descriptive, but don’t stuff it with extra keywords.

» It’s important to use alt text for any image on your pages, but if your company name, navigation, or other major elements of your pages are in images, alt text becomes especially important. Consider moving vital details to text to ensure all visitors can view them.

» Look at the image-to-text ratio on your page. How much text do you have? One way of looking at this is to look at your site with images turned off in your browser. What content can you see? Is the intent of your site obvious? Do the pages convey your message effectively?

» Opt into Enhanced Image Search in Web Master Tools. This allows google to ensure that all your images are indexed accuratly by adding metadata to your images.

» An additional tip to keep in mind is to use descriptive filenames for your images. For the most part, avoid using commonly used filenames for that image. For example, if your site provides pictures detailing the release of the new Iphone, then try using “IPhone-launch-day.jpg” instead of just “IPhone.jpg”.

These are some of the small but effective measures your can take to ensure better ranking for your images in google. Although, getting your images listed in google image search can be a great source of traffic, be aware people who will try to steal your bandwidth by hotlinking images on your webserver.