Image sitemap

« Back to Glossary Index

What is an image sitemap

What is an Image Sitemap?

Via Google Image Sitemaps Google receives Metadata to the images contained on a website. Visitors can perform an image search on Google. The use of Google image extensions in sitemaps provides the Search Engine additional information about the images on the website.

The incorporation of image and video content into an XMLSitemap can also help Google figure out content that may be included in image and video search results.

This can help Google discover images it might not find at the Crawl finds. For example, images that are about JavaScript-forms can be called.

XML sitemaps are a handy way to share page information with search engines like Google. Submitting a Sitemap does not guarantee that a page will be indexed, but it does not harm the rankings. As a result, it is a practice of Search engine optimization, an XMLSitemap to be submitted.

What does an image sitemap consist of?

A typical imageSitemap Contains the URL and other information about the specific images that Google, Bing, and other search engines should index. In summary, the standard XML tags used for sitemaps can be described as a schema and are used by all major search engines.

In order to provide Google with information about images on the site, the site owner must provide the defaultSitemap add relevant details. These include the type of image, subject, caption, title, geographic location, and license.

The process allows site owners to determine which images are most important on each page.

Advantages

  1. Better indexing: Imagine Google is a giant librarian, and your website is a new book. With an imageSitemap you tell the librarian, "Hey, look, there are great pictures in here too!" This makes your "book" more attractive for the "readers" - the users.
  2. More Traffic: Images can be an underestimated Traffic-It's a great way to be a supplier, especially via Google Image Search. It's like an extra entrance to your store that many other stores don't have.
  3. Higher SEO valueHigh quality and relevant indexed images can help your SEO-Ranking give it a boost. It's like a car with extra equipment: It drives just as well, but with the extras it simply drives better.
  4. Structure and clarity: An imageSitemap gives you a better overview of the images used on your website. You can see at a glance which images you have and how they are optimized - like an inventory list in a warehouse.

Disadvantages

  1. Effort: The creation and maintenance of an imageSitemap requires time and resources. You need to tag the images correctly, Alt texte write, etc. It's like mowing the lawn: it's important, but it eats up time.
  2. Complexity: The more images your website has, the more complicated the management of the Sitemap. Imagine you're a DJ with too many records - eventually you'll lose track.
  3. Overoptimization: Too many non-relevant or low-quality images can also backfire and even lower the SEO value of the website. Think of it like a buffet: Too many different dishes and the guests don't know where to start.
  4. Server loadIf your website is already operating at capacity, adding another Sitemap lead to additional loading times. It would be like adding another brick to an already packed backpack.

On the whole, image sitemaps are a powerful tool, but they don't come without their own challenges. If you do it right, they can be a real game-changer for your website. But like a good cocktail, it's all in the right mix.

Use cases

Image sitemaps can be useful for a variety of websites, especially those that rely on visual content. Websites that rely on images and other visual elements can benefit from using an Image Sitemap benefit to ensure that their content is indexed as quickly as possible.

Examples

A good example of the use of a Image Sitemap is a photo gallery website. If a website contains many images, a Image Sitemap help enable search engines to index and track the images. Another example is a website that contains videos. By using image sitemaps, website owners can ensure that search engines can find and index the videos.

Conclusion

Image Sitemaps can be a useful addition to websites that rely on visual content. They can help search engines find and index images and other visual elements on a website, which can ultimately help the site rank better in search engine rankings. Therefore, it can be useful to have a Image Sitemap to create and manage images to improve the visibility and availability of images on a website.

The Do's:

  1. Relevant images: No image should be displayed in the Sitemap only the Sitemap be there for the sake of it. Each image should provide clear added value to the content. It's like a buffet: You only put what you really want to eat on the plate.
  2. Alt text & title: Add meaningful alt text and titles to your images. This is like the little sign next to a piece of art in the gallery that explains to the visitor (or Google) what they are looking at.
  3. High quality imagesGoogle prefers high-quality images. It's like a first date: you want to make a good impression, right?
  4. Update: Add new images to the imageSitemap as soon as they are published on your website, similar to how you would update new products in your inventory.
  5. Various formats and mobile-friendliness: Make sure your images are in different formats and optimized for mobile devices.

The Don'ts:

  1. Avoid duplicates: If the same image appears multiple times on your website, choose the most relevant instance for the Sitemap. It's like twins: They look alike, but each has its own identity.
  2. Flooding: Do not put every snapshot in the Sitemap. That would be like posting every single selfie on Instagram - less is often more.
  3. Misleading alt texts and titlesAvoid misleading or generic terms. That would be like calling a Picasso painting "something with color".

So, in short, an imageSitemap is like the red carpet for your images. It leads Google directly to what makes your website so visually valuable. But like any red carpet, it depends on who walks across it and how good he or she looks doing it.

« Back to Glossary Index

FAQ

What is an image sitemap? arrow icon in accordion
Add images to an existing sitemap, or create a separate sitemap just for your images. Adding images to a sitemap helps Google discover images that we might not otherwise find (e.g., images that your site reaches with JavaScript code).
Is an image sitemap required? arrow icon in accordion
If your images are coded in a crawler-friendly way and the pages they're on are easily discoverable and crawlable, you really don't need an image sitemap. We know that's not the case for most websites. Many images are loaded in a way that search engines can't recognize.
Can you list images in an XML sitemap? arrow icon in accordion
Google extends the XML Sitemap schema to include tags for images and videos. These media tags can be added to any URL tag on an XML sitemap. Google extends the standard XML Schema for sitemaps and makes it possible to submit not only a page URL, but also important images and videos directly to the search engine.
What is an example of a sitemap? arrow icon in accordion
HTML Sitemap Example Just as in the XML Sitemap example, an HTML Sitemap lists all pages that are to be indexed. HTML sitemaps are versatile. They usually look like a normal page on your website and include a navigation menu, footer, and everything else you'd expect on a page.
How do sitemaps work? arrow icon in accordion
A sitemap tells Google which pages and files you think are important on your site, and also provides valuable information about those files. For example, when the page was last updated and what alternative language versions of the page exist.
Do I need a sitemap for my website? arrow icon in accordion
Sitemaps are not required for your website to be found by search engines, but are highly recommended for all websites. A sitemap allows your website's crawlers to reach all areas of your website more efficiently, regardless of their size.
How many sitemaps should I have? arrow icon in accordion
As a rule, every website must have at least two different types of sitemaps, namely XML sitemaps and HTML sitemaps. The XML sitemap is essential for proper indexing and crawling of your website's pages by search engines, while the HTML sitemap is intended for web users and is placed on the website's homepage.
Does WordPress create a sitemap? arrow icon in accordion
WordPress creates a simple sitemap on its own, but it contains everything you may not have indexed. This can lead to errors on your website. There is also no way to customize the default WordPress sitemap unless you know the PHP code. That's why we recommend using a plugin to create a sitemap in WordPress.
How do I add an image to a WordPress sitemap? arrow icon in accordion
If you have a WordPress website, you can use the XML Sitemap plugin to automatically create an image sitemap with one click. Once the sitemap is created, you can either add it to your Webmaster Tools dashboard to let Google know about the new sitemap, or you can use your robots.txt file to let Google select it itself.
How can I remove an image from a sitemap? arrow icon in accordion
The wpseo_xml_sitemap_img filter can be used to remove images from the sitemap. Usually code snippets are added to the functions of your themes.

With top positions to the new sales channel.

Let Google work for you, because visitors become customers.

About the author

Social Media & Links:

Your free gift!
Our SEO strategy
Webinar

You want more visitors and better Google rankings?

Watch our free SEO strategy webinar now and understand where your SEO levers are and how to tackle them head on.