Let’s be honest: for many of us, image SEO is an afterthought. We find a decent stock photo, maybe write a quick alt text if we remember, and then we move on. But in my experience, a portfolio of truly optimized images can be a significant source of organic traffic, and it’s one of the most overlooked parts of on-page SEO.
In my main guide on What is the Right Way to Use AI for On-Page SEO Optimization?, we touched on this briefly. Here, we’re going to go beyond the basics and look at how you can use AI for image SEO to perfect every visual element. To execute these tasks, you can use the prompts from my free toolkit, The AI On-Page SEO Command Center.
Why Should You Care About Advanced Image SEO?
Properly optimizing your images does more than just help a page rank. It has three key benefits:
- Traffic from Image Search: Google Images is a massive search engine in its own right. Optimized images can bring in a steady stream of relevant traffic.
- Improved Accessibility: Descriptive alt text is crucial for visually impaired users who rely on screen readers. This is a core part of web accessibility (WCAG) compliance.
- Better Page Context: Descriptive file names, alt text, and captions give search engines more contextual clues about your page’s topic, which can support your overall rankings.
How Can AI Perfect Your Alt Text?
Alt text is the foundation of image SEO. Its primary purpose is to describe an image for users who cannot see it. A good alt text is descriptive and concise. AI is brilliant at this.
Your Action: Use this expert AI alt text generator prompt.
ROLE: You are an expert in web accessibility (WCAG) and image SEO.
TASK: Write 3 descriptive alt text options for an image.
CONTEXT: The image shows “[Describe the image in clear, specific detail, e.g., ‘a golden retriever puppy playing with a red ball in a sunny, green park’]”. The alt text must be descriptive for visually impaired users first and SEO-friendly second. Do not keyword stuff.
OUTPUT FORMAT:
Three distinct alt text options, labeled A, B, and C.
How Can AI Optimize Your Image File Names?
The file name of your image is a small but important signal. A descriptive file name like blue-nike-running-shoe.jpg is far more useful to search engines than a generic one like IMG_1234.jpg. I use AI to generate these instantly.
Your Action: Use this AI image file name optimization prompt.
ROLE: You are an expert on-page SEO specialist.
TASK: Generate 3 SEO-friendly file names for the following image.
CONTEXT: The image shows “[Describe the image, e.g., ‘a person typing on a laptop in a modern coffee shop’]”. The file name should be 3-5 words long, lowercase, use hyphens instead of spaces, and accurately describe the image.
Can AI Write Your Image Captions and Titles?
Yes, and it’s important to understand the difference. Alt text is for screen readers and search engine crawlers. A caption is visible to all users on the page and adds context or a narrative to the image.
I use AI to write captions that are engaging and add value to the article, not just state what’s in the picture.
Your Action: Use this prompt for generating engaging captions.
ROLE: You are a skilled copy editor and blog writer.
TASK: Write 2-3 different caption options for the following image.
CONTEXT: The image shows “[Describe the image]”. The caption should be 1-2 sentences, add interesting context that isn’t obvious from the image, and be engaging for the reader. The article’s tone is [e.g., “helpful and professional”].
My Final Thoughts
AI for image SEO allows you to stop treating image optimization as an afterthought. It’s a quick, easy win. By using these simple prompts, you can create a repeatable workflow to ensure every visual element on your page is working to improve your accessibility, user experience, and search rankings.
About Me
I’m Sanwal Zia, a certified SEO strategist and the founder of Optimize with Sanwal. With expertise recognized by prestigious organizations, I focus on building effective search strategies that drive growth. You can connect with me on YouTube, my Website, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
