SEO-Optimized Images in Magento 2: Naming, ALT Tags and Hyvä Performance

Images are one of the heaviest elements on any Magento 2 storefront. While Hyvä themes dramatically improve frontend performance, poorly optimized image SEO can still hold stores back from reaching their full potential. From file naming to ALT attributes and clean image URLs, optimization is critical for both Core Web Vitals and search visibility. In this article, we break down best practices for Magento 2 image SEO and show how qoliber’s SEO: Image Friendly URLs module automates the process without adding overhead.

1. Why Image SEO Matters

Images are more than visual content - they are indexable assets. Google Images can be a significant source of traffic, and optimized ALT tags improve accessibility while supporting keyword targeting. At the same time, descriptive filenames and clean URLs help search engines better understand the context of each image.

• Improves rankings in Google Images and visual search
• Boosts accessibility compliance for screen readers
• Supports keyword placement without spamming
• Enhances CTR by showing better image previews in SERPs

2. Common Magento 2 Image SEO Pitfalls

Magento stores often miss opportunities due to:

• Generic filenames like image1234.jpg instead of descriptive names
• Missing or duplicate ALT tags across large catalogs
• Messy, parameter-based image URLs
• Heavy unoptimized images hurting LCP (Largest Contentful Paint)

These issues not only affect SEO but also drag down Hyvä’s performance benefits.

3. Best Practices for Image SEO

Developers and agencies should enforce a consistent image SEO strategy in Magento 2:

• Use descriptive, keyword-rich filenames based on product attributes
• Ensure unique ALT tags for every product image
• Maintain clean, SEO-friendly image URLs
• Compress and lazy load images to meet Core Web Vitals standards
• Validate implementation with Google Search Console and Lighthouse

4. Automating SEO with SEO: Image Friendly URLs

qoliber’s SEO: Image Friendly URLs eliminates the manual workload by dynamically generating filenames and ALT tags based on product attributes. This ensures consistent, descriptive image metadata across entire catalogs. Key capabilities include:

• Automatic SEO-friendly filenames for images
• Dynamic ALT and TITLE tags generated from product attributes
• Clean, structured image URLs without parameters
• Improved indexing in Google Images and SERPs
• Full compatibility with Hyvä and ElasticSuite
• No impact on frontend performance or caching

By automating image SEO, developers avoid duplication, save countless hours of manual work, and improve both rankings and accessibility at scale.

5. Developer Workflow

A typical workflow for implementing SEO: Image Friendly URLs in Magento 2 looks like this:

1. Install the module and configure attribute-based naming rules
2. Map attributes like brand, product name, or category to image metadata
3. Validate ALT tags and filenames in staging
4. Deploy to production and monitor with Google Search Console

Conclusion

Optimized images are a key driver of SEO and user experience in Magento 2. While Hyvä ensures frontend performance, it is consistent image metadata that unlocks rankings in Google Images and prevents accessibility gaps.

With qoliber’s SEO: Image Friendly URLs, developers and agencies can automate filenames, ALT tags, and clean URLs - ensuring SEO discipline without slowing down their stores. Explore more in our Magento 2 extensions library to build image-optimized storefronts that are both fast and search-friendly.