Image and Video Compression Strategies for Better SEO (2026)

A web page can feel like a heavy suitcase dragged up a narrow stairwell. You click, you wait, the header creeps in, then a huge image drops into place and the whole page jumps. By the time the video tries to load, you’ve already backed out.

That pause isn’t just annoying, it costs you. Image and video compression reduces file weight, which helps pages load quicker, feel steadier, and respond faster. In 2026, those signals still matter because Google measures real user experience through Core Web Vitals, including load speed, layout stability, and interaction smoothness.

This guide gives practical compression habits that keep your media crisp while cutting the bulk.

Why compression helps SEO, speed, and trust

Compression is simple cause and effect. Smaller files download faster, so readers see content sooner and interact sooner. That tends to reduce bounces and increase time on page, which supports stronger performance signals over time.

It also helps search engines. When pages are lighter, crawlers waste less time fetching oversized media, and your site’s “budget” goes further across more URLs.

Think of a 3 MB hero image versus a 250 KB one. Both can look great on a phone. Only one makes your article feel instant.

There is a trade-off. Push compression too hard and faces turn waxy, text looks fuzzy, and gradients band. That visual “cheapness” can reduce trust and hurt sign-ups or sales even if rankings improve.

What Google measures when media is too heavy

Heavy media usually shows up in three places:

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): If the largest thing on screen is a hero image, an uncompressed file can delay LCP by seconds. Google’s own guidance on improving Core Web Vitals highlights that big elements often dominate load time (web.dev Core Web Vitals guidance).
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): If images load without set dimensions, the page can jump as space is created late. That feels messy and can break the reader’s flow.
• Interaction to Next Paint (INP): Large video scripts, heavy players, and too much work on the main thread can make taps feel “sticky”, especially on mid-range mobiles.

Common symptoms you can spot without tools:

• The first paint looks blurry, then sharpens late.
• The page jumps when images appear.
• Scrolling stalls after a big embed loads.

Set practical targets for file size and quality

Targets stop optimisation from becoming guesswork. Use these as starting points, then adjust based on your site’s design and audience.

Good starting budgets

• Formats: Prefer WebP or AVIF for most images.
• Typical images: Keep many images under ~100 KB where it’s realistic (icons, thumbnails, simple photos).
• Photo quality: Aim around 75 to 85 percent quality for lossy compression, then eyeball it at 100 percent zoom.
• Resize first: Don’t compress a 4000 px photo for a 700 px slot.
• Mobile gets tighter budgets: Mobile networks and CPUs are less forgiving, even in 2026.

For deeper context on how images affect the metrics, this breakdown is a solid reference: optimise images for Core Web Vitals.

Image compression strategies that keep pages sharp and light

A reliable workflow beats one-off fixes. Aim for the same steps each time: pick the right format, resize to the real display size, compress to a sensible quality level, then deliver the right version per device.

Also remember image SEO basics while you’re there. Good compression gets the page loaded, but alt text and clear filenames help the image make sense to users, screen readers, and search engines.

Choose the best image format for each job (AVIF, WebP, JPEG, PNG, SVG)

Formats are like containers. Put the right thing in the right box and you lose less quality.

If your CMS supports it, serve AVIF or WebP with a fallback JPEG or PNG when needed. If you want a clear, accurate learning path on image formats and delivery, web.dev Learn Images is one of the best resources.

Resize before you compress, stop uploading giant originals

Resizing is where most of the savings live. Compression can’t undo the fact you shipped far more pixels than the page can display.

Simple rules that work:

• Hero images: Match the maximum container size your theme actually uses, not your camera’s full resolution.
• In-article images: If your content column is 760 px wide, don’t upload 4000 px.
• Keep aspect ratios consistent: Stretching a resized image looks cheap and draws the eye for the wrong reason.

If you take one action today, make it this: set a “largest allowed upload size” for editors, or add an automatic resize step in your workflow.

Use lossy vs lossless the smart way

Lossy compression throws away data your eyes often won’t miss. Lossless keeps everything, just packed more efficiently.

A quick rule of thumb:

• Use lossy for real-world photos (people, rooms, food, travel). These tolerate a little smoothing.
• Use lossless for graphics with text, logos, UI screenshots, or sharp lines. Artefacts around letters look unprofessional fast.

If you’re unsure, compress a copy and zoom in on edges, text, and skin tones. You’ll know within seconds if you’ve gone too far.

Make delivery faster with lazy loading, responsive images, and set dimensions

Compression reduces the weight, delivery reduces the wait.

Three wins that don’t require deep technical work:

• Lazy-load below-the-fold images: Let the top of the page load first, then fetch images as the reader scrolls.
• Responsive images: Use srcset so a phone doesn’t download the same large file as a desktop.
• Set width and height: Reserve space so the layout doesn’t jump, which supports a better CLS score.

Most modern CMS themes have settings or plugins for these. If yours doesn’t, it’s worth prioritising, because this is where “feels fast” comes from.

Video compression and delivery that does not wreck page speed

Video is often the heaviest item on a page, even when it’s not playing. One background clip can outweigh every image in an article combined.

Treat video like a special guest. It can lift engagement, but it needs boundaries: shorter clips, sensible resolution, and careful loading behaviour.

Pick the right format and codec, avoid GIFs for motion

GIFs are the loud, hungry cousin of modern media. They look simple, but they’re usually massive for the quality they deliver.

Better defaults:

• MP4 for wide compatibility.
• WebM for efficient delivery where supported.
• Poster images so the page looks complete before playback starts.

You’re not trying to make video worse, you’re trying to make it efficient. Modern codecs can look clean at smaller sizes when you match the resolution to the player.

Compress and trim videos with simple rules that work

Before you touch any settings, cut the dead weight. The first seconds matter most, and extra footage costs bytes every time.

A practical checklist:

• Cut long intros and empty pauses.
• Match resolution to display size (don’t ship 4K to a 640 px embed).
• Reduce bitrate until artefacts appear, then step back slightly.
• Keep audio sensible, stereo is often enough for web clips.

Tools like HandBrake and FFmpeg are common choices for this kind of work. You don’t need to memorise settings, you need a repeatable habit: trim, scale, compress, check.

Host and embed videos in a way that loads fast

Hosting choice is a performance choice.

• YouTube or Vimeo: Great for reliability and adaptive streaming, but embeds can add scripts that slow the page if they load immediately.
• Self-hosting: More control, but you need good delivery (often a CDN) and careful configuration.

For many publishers, a “click-to-play” or lightweight embed approach gives the best balance. The page loads quickly, the reader chooses to load the video, and mobile users don’t burn data without consent. Avoid auto-play with sound, it irritates people and wastes resources.

A simple media SEO checklist before you hit publish

This is the newsroom routine that prevents slow posts from slipping out.

On-page basics that help images and videos get found

File names: Use descriptive names like “london-electric-bus-interior.webp”, not “IMG_4839”.
Alt text: Describe what’s there, not what you’re selling.
Captions: Add them when they give context, not as filler.
Consistency: If you run a series, keep a clear naming pattern.

Original images can also help visibility in image search and build reader trust, because they look like reporting, not stock.

Test, measure, and keep improving

Check one page on a real phone before you celebrate. You’ll feel problems that lab tools sometimes miss.

Then confirm with measurement:

• Run PageSpeed Insights to spot heavy media and see LCP and CLS results.
• Use Lighthouse for a repeatable lab benchmark.
• Keep a simple before-and-after note of file sizes and key timings.

If you want a UK-focused overview of why these metrics matter for rankings, this guide is a helpful companion: Core Web Vitals and SEO success.

Conclusion

Lighter media makes a page feel calm. It loads like a door opening, not a jammed lift.

Keep it simple: resize first, use AVIF or WebP, compress photos to sensible quality, lazy-load what’s not needed yet, and handle video with care through smart trimming and hosting. Pick one older post today, compress the images and tame the video, then watch what happens to speed and rankings over the next few weeks.