Images are the heaviest part of most WordPress sites. Optimizing them is the single fastest win for both SEO and user experience.
1. Use the right formats
Use WebP for photos (up to 30% smaller than JPEG at the same quality) and reserve PNG for images needing transparency. SVGs work great for logos and icons.
2. Compress without losing quality
Run every image through a compression tool before uploading. Aim for a balance where the file is as small as possible while still looking crisp on high-DPI screens.
3. Write descriptive alt text
Alt text helps search engines understand your images and improves accessibility. Describe what the image shows using your target keywords naturally — don't stuff it.
4. Enable lazy loading
Lazy loading defers off-screen images so they load only when the user scrolls to them — cutting initial page weight and improving Core Web Vitals.
5. Serve via a CDN
A CDN caches your optimized images on servers close to visitors, so they load faster no matter where your audience is located.
The result
Sites that follow these steps routinely see faster load times, better Lighthouse scores, and improved image traffic in Google search.