However, there is no evidence that it acted on that right to use it. In fact, over the years, nothing much has changed in terms of Google’s assertions about the use of EXIF in rankings.
However, reports from the SMX Advanced conference in September 2024 suggested that Martin Splitt of Google denied its use in rankings.
How Does It Affect Rankings?
So, now that we’ve covered what image metadata is, let’s get back to the question. Does metadata affect rankings?
No. Not directly.
But there is some nuance to that answer.
Because of the way metadata can enhance an image in Google Image SERPs, it may have an effect on click-through. That alone can be enough of a reason to utilize it.
After all, clicking on the website to view or license an image is likely the goal of optimizing it.
There is, of course, the suggestion that user behavior affects Google’s rankings. If the metadata-inspired labels on the images in the SERPs cause improved click-through, then arguably, there is a link to rankings improvements.
What Affects Image Ranking?
If you want to make the most of the images on your site, then utilizing metadata is a smart move – especially if your images are your products.
Conveying the license agreement and copyright information can be incredibly useful in those situations.
If you want your images to rank purely to give your product or service more exposure to potential customers, then you may want to focus more on aspects that will directly impact their ranking.
There are a range of factors that you will want to consider, including choosing the right image file type: JPEG, WebP, PNG, BMP, GIF, or SV.
For a full guide on how to optimize your images for ranking, take a look at these tips.
As an absolute minimum, the following aspects are worth considering whenever you add an image to a page.
Speed
As with everything on a webpage these days, load speed matters. If your image is slow to load and render, it is likely to affect the Core Web Vitals of the page on which it’s on.
Alt Text
The alt tag is a text alternative to an image. If the image doesn’t display, or a screen reader is used to understand the image, it can be read instead of the image being viewed.
Search engines have historically struggled to understand the content of images.
Although they have taken significant leaps forward in this regard, the alt tag is still used to explain what’s in an image that the search engines will definitely understand.
As such, it is a good place to accurately describe your image while using language that searchers will likely use.
File Name
Did you not expect that what name you save your photo as will have a ranking impact?
Well, surprisingly, it does.
Don’t settle for Helen-save-1 or IMG1239. Instead, consider using a similar file name to the alt text. Essentially, give the search bots another clue as to what the image is of.
In Summary: Image Metadata Matters For SEO
There is little to say that metadata has a direct ranking impact. However, as with any factor that may or may not have an impact, I suggest you test it where you can!
Although there may be little impetus to add metadata for ranking purposes, there are many other reasons, even SEO ones, why you should consider what metadata you are or aren’t using with your imagery.
More resources:
Featured Image: Collagery/Shutterstock