I am often asked about the importance of file names for SEO. Many people wonder if the file name of an image can affect its search engine optimization. For instance, does it matter whether the file name is "telefon-samsung-s3.jpg" or "785353456456338534.jpg"?



There is indeed a lot of discussion about this in SEO articles, with many claiming that descriptive file names are better for SEO. However, when I looked at numerous large online stores, I noticed that they primarily use non-transliterated names for their images. This leads me to wonder about the actual impact of file names on SEO.
Does the file name really play a significant role in search engine optimization, or are there other factors that carry more weight? And how can website owners optimize their image file names effectively to enhance their SEO efforts?

The importance of file names for SEO is a topic that often sparks debate and speculation within the web design and digital marketing communities.
File names do indeed play a significant role in SEO. When search engines crawl a website, they not only analyze the text content but also take into account various other elements, including image file names. Descriptive file names can provide relevant context to search engines about the content of the image, potentially improving the chances of it being ranked higher in image search results.

It's true that the debate over transliterated versus non-transliterated file names is ongoing. While many SEO experts advocate for using descriptive, keyword-rich file names, others argue that search engines have advanced enough to understand the content of an image regardless of its file name.

I've observed that different websites and online stores may approach image file naming differently. Some opt for non-transliterated names for their images, while others prioritize descriptive file names. This diversity indicates the ongoing discussion and experimentation within the industry regarding the impact of file names on SEO.

However, beyond file names, there are indeed other factors that carry significant weight in SEO, such as alt tags, image titles, surrounding text content, page load speed, mobile-friendliness, and backlinks. These factors collectively contribute to the overall optimization of images and web pages.

In terms of optimizing image file names effectively, website owners can follow best practices by choosing descriptive and relevant file names that accurately represent the content of the image. This not only assists search engines in understanding the context of the image but also improves accessibility for users with screen readers or those who have images turned off in their browsers.
While file names do play a role in SEO, they are just one piece of the larger optimization puzzle. Website owners should strive to create informative, relevant, and user-friendly file names for their images, while also focusing on a holistic SEO strategy that encompasses various on-page and off-page optimization techniques.

According to statements from Google representatives, numerous parameters, possibly numbering in the thousands (the exact figure eludes my memory), influence search result rankings. The specific algorithms behind these rankings, developed by Matrixnet, remain a mystery. While attaching a keyword or a descriptive image to a name may not result in a poorer ranking, it certainly leaves room for improvement.

I would put it this way: Opting for the first choice would be more favorable, although its influence on search outcomes is negligible. When it comes to image searches, there is a slightly more noticeable effect, but it is still practically insignificant. It's analogous to being told, "Eat more pepper, it contains more vitamin C than a lemon," but imagine trying to consume the same weight of ground black pepper as that of a lemon – it would fill an entire glass. Hence, not everything labeled as "beneficial for SEO" truly lives up to that claim, regardless of how peculiar it may sound.

Optimizing all of your content for SEO is important for your rankings, including image filenames. User-friendly image filenames are more likely to be recommended by Google. The filename should be descriptive, include applicable keywords and use hyphens instead of spaces to separate words.