Why image size matters for SEO
Google uses Core Web Vitals as a ranking signal. The Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) metric is often dominated by hero images and banners. If your homepage image is 2 MB instead of 200 KB, you lose rankings and visitors.
Best practices
- Compress before upload — use tools like OptimizeImage to shrink PNG and JPEG files.
- Use WebP — typically 25–35% smaller than JPEG at the same visual quality.
- Set width and height — prevents layout shift (CLS).
- Lazy load below-the-fold images — only load what the user sees first.
Quick wins
1. Run PageSpeed Insights on your URL 2. Compress the top 10 largest images 3. Re-test — most sites see instant LCP improvement
Try the free image compressor — files auto-delete in 24 hours for privacy. For cutouts use remove background, then re-test with the page speed checker.