Do image file names actually help your Google ranking?

[RonenSlate]

Someone told me that saving images as IMG_004.jpg hurts my site, and I should rename them with keywords instead. Does doing this make a noticeable difference for your traffic?

 

[Jake]

I do not think that optimization directly affects the page ranking, but I try to call them descriptively anyway. After all, this is additional information for Google, which can help if the page is involved in image searches. However, this is a small optimization, so the overall boost is not significant. Still, I use it because it does not take any extra effort.

 

[alexander.carter]

I do not think that optimization directly affects the page ranking, but I try to call them descriptively anyway. After all, this is additional information for Google, which can help if the page is involved in image searches. However, this is a small optimization, so the overall boost is not significant. Still, I use it because it does not take any extra effort.

I wouldn’t expect a big difference from renaming the file alone. I’d focus more on the image quality and making sure the page around it is useful, since those seem more important overall.

 

[ElizabethParker]

If someone is manually reviewing your site, they might notice it, but I wouldn't make it a top priority. I'd focus more on the bigger SEO factors first, then optimize image filenames as part of the overall cleanup.