Lesson 17
When Images Help SEO (and When They Don’t)
What you’ll learn
By the end of this lesson, you’ll know:
When images add SEO value
When they don’t make much difference
How to decide whether an image belongs on a page
Images support understanding, not rankings
Images don’t rank pages on their own.
They help when they:
- Clarify a concept
- Provide examples
- Break up dense content
- Improve user experience
Better understanding often leads to better engagement — which supports SEO indirectly.
When images are most useful
Images tend to add value when they:
- Show examples (screenshots, diagrams)
- Demonstrate processes
- Support educational content
- Add clarity that text alone can’t provide
In your lessons, images that illustrate structure or examples are especially useful.
When images don’t add much value
Images are less helpful when they:
- Are purely decorative
- Don’t relate directly to the content
- Exist only to “add media”
- Slow down page loading unnecessarily
An image that doesn’t support understanding can be safely removed.
Avoid the “image for every section” mindset
You don’t need:
- An image under every heading
- A gallery on every page
Add images where they help, not where they’re expected.
A practical decision guide
Before adding an image, ask:
- Does this help explain something?
- Would the page be worse without it?
If the answer is “no”, the image probably isn’t needed.