The free traffic channel most businesses leave sitting on the table.

Edward Sturm made a case that is easy to dismiss and shouldn't be: image SEO, the unglamorous work of naming files well, writing real alt text, and using the right formats, quietly pulled thousands of clicks and hundreds of thousands of impressions in one example.

Why it's overlooked

Because it feels like housekeeping. Most sites upload photos straight off a phone with names like IMG_4821 and no description, and never think about it again. That is exactly why the opportunity is still open: your competitors are skipping it too.

Why it matters more now

Google Images was always a discovery channel. Now AI tools that read and describe images are another one. Getting the basics right is low effort for real upside, and it is the kind of thorough groundwork we bake into our SEO work rather than leaving on the table.

The boring basics are where the free traffic hides. That's marketing made with love.