Picture This, Part 1: Get the Most From Universal Search

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Google universal search can include results from blog search, book search, Google Base and product search, code search, the Google directory (DMOZ), Google Images, Google Local and Maps, Google News, Google Video, and of course, good old-fashioned Google Web search results.

To control your brand messaging and online reputation in Google and other search engines that now provide blended results, you must leverage vertical venues and prioritize optimization of those elements most applicable to your online business.

Let's examine optimizing images, an area that can benefit just about any business. We'll talk more about optimizing news and blog results, local search results, and the role video can play in promoting your online business in the next column.

The Basics

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but to optimize an image you need just a few targeted keywords and a short list of fundamental SEO (define) tactics. It's relatively easy to begin optimizing images because most well-designed sites incorporate original images. Start small. Optimize key images on your Web site first, then apply lessons to a broader strategy. Items to focus on include, but aren't limited to:

Next Steps

Look at your Web analytics to strategically select topics that drive traffic your way and determine which images might be best optimized.

Then complete perfunctory keyword research to help define the direction your image optimization efforts should take. Review file names and site structure, figure out what it takes to intelligently add annotations to your images, and consider your alt tags and opportunities for image optimization. Doing so will help you tap into an entirely different stream of picture-perfect search referrals. It all starts when you picture this.

Next up: Links are the currency of the search engine visibility. How to promote image optimization efforts.

Want more search information? ClickZ SEM Archives contain all our search columns, organized by topic.