Delivering incredible SEO results for our clients isn’t always about the big flashy stuff. Sometimes, it’s about going back to the absolute basics.
For instance, renaming files so they are logical, helpful and best of all, SEO friendly.
There is a really good reason why, as an SEO, I am so so hung up on this topic. That’s because ensuring you create good file names, especially for image files, is, in my opinion, one of the biggest things that gets overlooked in SEO. From local businesses to large ecommerce brands, I would rate it as the #1 SEO mistake I see daily.
So what’s the problem with these gibberish file names? Well, unless you make deliberate steps to tell Google what your digital content is about, it’s unlikely to be found for the types of searches it should be. So, you could be missing out big time on relevant search traffic coming your way without even realising it.
In this post, I will tell you why generic or nonsense file names are bad for any business which markets its products or services online. Plus, what I’d do today to fix it.
What is the purpose of a file name?
Humour me by going and checking the names of the images saved in your website’s CMS right now. I bet there are a slew of images named the likes of ‘untitled1’, ‘1600x1600’ or ‘hsbfjfb’.
Now, consider how Google will read that file name and magically connect that product image to relevant search engine queries? It can't.
Think of a file name as something which goes into a big giant digital filing cabinet (i.e. your website or Google Drive).
A good file name should provide ease of:
Identification: It uniquely identifies a file within its folder/directory, so the operating system (and you) can distinguish it from every other file stored there.
Retrieval: It's the label the system and applications use to locate and open the file quickly, rather than needing to know its exact storage address on disk.
Description/context: A well chosen name tells you (and anyone else) what's inside without opening it. For instance, Q3_SEO_report_2026.docx tells you far more than Document1.docx. This is extra important if the file is going to be made public.
Organisation: Consistent naming conventions (dates, version numbers, project codes) help you sort, search and manage large numbers of files systematically. This is especially useful when tracking versions of client reports, content drafts or audit spreadsheets.
There is also the extension part of the name (.docx, .jpg, .csv, etc.).
However, what I want you to focus on for this post is everything which comes before the extension, which you have full control over. It’s also the bit that matters most for SEO.
Good file names are essential for driving traffic from Google Images
Google works by crawling information. A key part of the information it crawls is the file name. I cannot tell you how many people overlook this basic fact when creating a website or adding new content to it.
I just saved a product image from a luxury ecommerce store which sells quite expensive handbags.
The file name for one product image is this: ‘LOOK_F_26_4_LOOK_054_E01-1’
The problem is, how many customers looking to buy that bag will enter that bit of text on Google Images? They won't. They'll type the brand name and the word 'bags'. So, there is a good chance the correct images won't be shown.
There are around 13.7 billion Google searches per day. If you don’t add any logical clues as to what your images are about, there is every chance they won’t be found, even when customers directly type in the brand name and product.
Sure, a decent enough product page that has been optimised might still scrape through. But all too often, the opportunity has been lost on Google images at the very least, because Google doesn't know what your image is about. For ecommerce which relies on that visual, tangable digital experience, this is really bad.
On a related note, no, Google cannot read text that has been typed over images and saved as a JPEG either. Also, text on image files is also bad for accessibility, as screen readers cannot read the text.
I once got a company on the homepage of Google just by optimising their image filenames
If you thought getting on Google Images sounded good, how about the homepage of Google itself? It might just happen if you only name your files logically.
For me, it happened on Earth Day, which is a theme which closely relates to what this business offered as a service, so it couldn’t have been more perfect for them.
My point of sharing this story is to show you how a very simple thing that absolutely anyone can do quickly and for free can actually get you very far.
What I did: I drew an image on Canva, ensured I named the image file with SEO in mind and inputted that image into a blog. The JPEG file was labelled something like ‘client name Earth Day 2024 theme Planet vs plastics’.
A few weeks later, I checked the SERPs on Earth Day and saw Google had selected a few images (including mine!) to put on their homepage. As I said, it was a branded image. So, absolutely FREE advertising on the homepage of Google for the entire day, which you can’t even buy.
That may never happen to me again, I don’t know. But I can tell you why it happened, and that is I provided Google with very clear information about my image. Someone from Google then found it, liked it enough to use it for the theme and bam - six figure impressions and crazy traffic to the site.
Even if your image doesn’t make it onto the Google homepage, it is likely to become a rich result (i.e. an image or featured snippet) if that file is optimised properly for search. So either way, your content will benefit even just through boosting impressions and clicks.
Good file names act as breadcrumbs for downloaded content
Most of us save images from websites when we are making a purchase decision. Sometimes, we’ll save the images to our computer or share them with others.
However, the details attached to that image really matter. That’s because, if a user downloads an image and then exits your site, they may not remember where that image came from, i.e. your brand name or URL. This runs the risk of a customer heading to a competitor site instead because they are going to take the easiest route to make that purchase.
A good file name on the downloaded image means your brand name and the product title can easily be traced back. It’s simple to do and makes a really big difference.
On a related note, I see way too many company PDF brochures which also have poor labelling. If you want that brochure found on Google, make sure it is labelled properly with a good file name.
SEO friendly file names also help your team
Logical sounding file names aren’t just good for SEO; they also help anyone who needs to access your files.
Think about how we all search through emails, Google Drive, or internal folders looking for something. How can we find it without relevant words or phrases attached to the file? We can’t and it ends up taking way too much time trying to find it.
Many times, I have been tasked to work on a blog for a company. I go to find a relevant product image to insert in the CMS and cannot find it through the search function, because the images have filenames like ‘IMG_036464’.
It takes ages to find the image because I have to scroll through years of work. The first thing I do when I eventually find it is rename the image because it won't get found on search otherwise.
In short, logical file names help everyone, from your internal team to your customers. Important content shouldn’t be difficult to find, but it will be if you don't have a good filing system going on.
So what should you be naming your files if you want to get on Google Images and beyond?
There’s no need to reinvent the wheel here. But what you will need to do is consider the logical words and phrases that describe the image.
How I’d name an ecommerce product file as an SEO Specialist:
Brand name_product category_product name_product colour_product size
What I’m thinking about here is a customer Googling the brand name or the product type. After all, they aren’t going to search for ‘untitled1’ when looking for a blue t-shirt by their favourite brand. So, it’s all about making those logical and quite obvious connections.
I have been doing this exact thing for one of our clients recently. Lo and behold, every week more and more of their product images are showing up in Google Images for branded searches. Clicks, impressions and most importantly, sales are rising as a result. It’s no coincidence!
Bonus: As we touched upon above, descriptive and helpful file names also help with accessibility. Remember, some of your customers will be using screen reader technology. Good image file names (alongside alt tags) help make the web more accessible for everyone.
Bad filenames the least of your SEO woes? We can help
If you’ve never considered the filenames of content on your website before, you’re not alone. But it’s all the more reason why proper, methodical SEO matters for your business.
At Imaginaire, we help our clients get found by their customers through a vast range of SEO techniques.
Alongside the types of SEO strategies you’re probably familiar with, we also go that extra mile to ensure maximum visibility where it counts. Like creating logical journeys between your digital marketing and your customers by ensuring your marketing content is organised and labelled properly.
To enquire about our SEO services, please get in touch.
