Tammivaara Digital Marketing

Images are an important part of your website. They make your content look better and easier to understand. But they can also slow down your site if they’re not saved in the right format.

That’s why choosing the best image format for SEO is highly important. In this post, we’ll compare WebP and JPEG, explain what they are, and help you decide which one is better for your site.

Why Do Image Formats Matter for SEO?

Google cares about how fast your website loads. If your images are too large, your site will load slowly. And if your site is slow, visitors might leave — and Google might rank you lower in search results.

Using a modern image format can help your pages load faster and improve your SEO.

What Is JPEG?

JPEG (or JPG) is one of the oldest and most common image formats on the internet. It works well for:

• Photos
• Images with many colors or gradients
• Smaller file sizes (when compressed)

But JPEG is not always the smallest or most efficient format available today.

What Is WebP?

WebP is a newer image format created by Google. It gives you smaller file sizes with the same (or even better) quality compared to JPEG.

Benefits of WebP:

• Smaller files = faster website
• Supports transparency (like PNG)
• Supported by most modern browsers

You can read more about WebP at:
https://developers.google.com/speed/webp

Which Is Image Format is Better for SEO?

In most cases, WebP is better than JPEG for SEO. Here’s why:

• It keeps your images looking sharp
• It reduces file size which makes your site faster
• It’s supported by Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and many others

Google even recommends using “next-gen formats” like WebP in Google PageSpeed Insights.

How to Convert Images to WebP

Here are easy tools you can use to convert JPEGs to WebP:

• TinyPNG — Upload your image and download it in WebP format
• Squoosh — A tool by Google that lets you compress and convert images in your browser
• CloudConvert — Online converter for many file types

Can I Still Use JPEG?

Yes! If you have older images or use platforms that don’t support WebP, JPEG is still a safe option. But if you want the best performance, use WebP whenever possible — especially for new images.

Summary: JPEG vs. WebP for SEO

Feature	JPEG	WebP
File size	Larger	Smaller ✅
Quality	Good	Very good ✅
Transparency	❌	✅
Browser support	✅ (all)	✅ (most)
SEO-friendly	Okay	Better ✅

Final Tip

Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to check if your images are slowing down your site. If it says “Serve images in next-gen formats,” that’s your cue to try WebP!

Want to learn more SEO basics? Check out my Technical SEO Checklist!

If you want your site to rank better in Finland, I offer tailored SEO in Finland for international businesses.