Google has updated its Image SEO best practices, emphasizing the importance of using consistent URLs for images across larger websites. The primary change advises that when an image is featured on multiple pages, it should be referenced with the same URL to optimize crawling efficiency. This approach allows Google to cache and reuse the image without repeated requests, conserving time and resources for both Google and the website.
For large websites, this update is crucial as it addresses the concept of crawl budget, which is the number of pages Google checks within a specific timeframe. A consistent image URL prevents Google from wasting its crawl budget on multiple requests for the same image, ensuring more efficient indexing.
