Image SEO with AI
Image SEO makes images load fast, describes them for screen readers and gets them into image search. AI drafts the alt text for large libraries.
Images and page speed
Images often account for most of a page's data, and unoptimised files drag down Core Web Vitals.
Alt text for accessibility and search
Alt text describes what an image shows and why it is on the page. WCAG requires it for every image that carries information, which makes it part of the European Accessibility Act and Germany's BITV ordinance. Decorative images get an empty alt attribute.
Where AI helps and where it does not
Image models recognise subjects reliably but know nothing about the page context, product names or the people shown. AI therefore drafts the descriptions, and an editor approves each one before publication. Rules on length, tone and people, plus details such as product name and category, sharpen the drafts.
Technology
Formats: WebP or AVIF with fallback
Sizes: responsive images with srcset
Loading behaviour: lazy loading below the fold, main image prioritised
Stability: fixed widths and heights to prevent layout shift
File names: descriptive and lower case, such as ‘stainless-steel-sink-60-cm.jpg’
The CMS generates every variant automatically from a single uploaded original.
Images in search
Original photos stand a better chance in image search than widely used stock images. Captions, structured data and an image sitemap help search engines classify them. Google also surfaces images in web search and Google Lens.
Approach
The first step is an audit of the library: missing alt text, oversized files, wrong formats. Image processing is then set up in the CMS, in Statamic via Glide. New images pass through the same review process.