When it comes to ensuring my images stand out in Google Search and Discover, I’ve learned that it’s all about using both schema.org markup and the og:image meta tag effectively. Google recently revised its image SEO best practices and Discover guide to clarify how they utilize these elements to select thumbnails.
Image SEO Best Practices – Google introduced a new section in its image SEO guide called Specify a preferred image with metadata. Here, Google explained:
“Google’s selection of an image preview is entirely automated, considering various sources to display a suitable image on Google, such as a text result image or a preview image in Discover.”
So, how can I influence the thumbnails Google selects?
I can specify the primaryImageOfPage property with a URL or ImageObject in schema.org. Alternatively, linking an image URL or ImageObject to the main entity using the mainEntity or mainEntityOfPage properties could be beneficial. Another option is to define the og:image meta tag.
Overall best practices include choosing an image that truly represents the page, avoiding generic images or those containing text, steering clear of extremes in aspect ratios, and opting for high-resolution images whenever possible.
Google Discover Image Selection – In the Discover documentation, I found some insightful tips:
“Incorporate engaging, high-quality images in your content, especially large images, as they are more likely to attract visits from Discover. Images should be at least 1200px wide, high resolution of at least 300K, and maintain a 16×9 aspect ratio.”
Google attempts to crop images automatically for Discover. If I choose to crop images myself, they should be well-positioned for landscape use, ensuring vital details remain in the cropped version specified in the og:image meta tag.
Also important is enabling the max-image-preview:large setting or using AMP. Utilizing schema.org markup or the og:image meta tag allows specifying a large, relevant image as thumbnails in Discover.
Why It Matters – Images significantly impact click-through rates from Google Search and Discover. By understanding and applying these guidelines, I can better guide Google in selecting the right image thumbnails to boost visibility.
Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.
