How Should You Use WebP and AVIF Images Without Hurting SEO?

When you’re running a website, images are everywhere: hero banners, product photos, blog post visuals, gallery slideshows.

They’re essential to telling your story and engaging your visitors.

But here’s the catch: poorly optimized images can drag your site down, hurting both performance and SEO.

That’s where modern image formats like WebP and AVIF come in.

They enable you to deliver high-quality visuals while significantly reducing file sizes.

Because smaller, smarter images help pages load faster, they play directly into how search engines judge your site.

Page speed, Core Web Vitals, and search results are all intertwined.

If your pages load quickly and cleanly, especially that largest, eye-catching image, search engines take notice.

Using the right image formats helps you tick off those boxes: faster page load times, better user experience, and stronger positioning in search results.

Why Image Optimization Matters for SEO

Unoptimized images are often the silent performance killers of a website.

Imagine you upload a massive photo straight from your camera without resizing or compressing it.

That image could add megabytes to your page and slow load times.

The result?

Your Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) metric suffers; that’s the moment the biggest visual element becomes visible to your visitor.

Slow LCP equals lower scores in Core Web Vitals.

On the flip side, you want to serve high-quality images so your site still looks sharp and professional.

But ultra-high quality with huge file sizes is a losing game.

You need that sweet spot: visuals that look great, but don’t weigh down your page.

That’s why the balance between visual quality and smaller file sizes is so critical.

Search engines favor sites that deliver a smooth, fast experience.

If your pages load quickly and respond well on different devices, that’s a trust signal.

It leads to better rankings, more visibility, and more organic traffic.

This becomes even more important for mobile users, especially on sites like e-commerce stores. Imagine someone trying to browse product photos on a phone over a slower connection.

If hero images or product pages take too long to load, people bounce.

Optimized images mean faster page load times, fewer frustrated visitors, and more conversions.

Understanding Modern Image Formats

WebP Images

WebP is a smart image file format developed with web use in mind.

Its strength lies in offering both lossy compression and lossless compression options, depending on whether you’re willing to sacrifice a little detail for smaller file size.

Compared to traditional formats like JPEG or PNG, WebP often produces smaller file sizes while preserving quality.

Because WebP supports transparency and animations, it can replace PNGs and GIFs in many cases too.

For responsive images and different devices, you can serve tailored versions (using srcset or the <picture> element) so mobile devices get lighter images and desktops get higher resolution ones.

Browser support for WebP is strong in 2025.

Major browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari all support WebP natively. (Google for Developers)

That means you can safely use WebP in most scenarios, falling back to older formats only where necessary.

AVIF Images

AVIF (AV1 Image File Format) is one of the newer standards built on the AV1 video codec from the Alliance for Open Media. (Contentful)

It brings superior compression, often producing even smaller image file sizes than WebP without sacrificing visual fidelity.

In many cases, AVIF delivers better quality for the same or lower file size.

AVIF supports both lossy and lossless compression, high bit depths, HDR, and wide color gamuts, so it’s well suited for high-resolution images, especially those in e-commerce sites and photography portfolios.

As for browser support: WebP still has broader and more mature support, but AVIF is catching up. (Elementor)

By 2025, most of the major browsers support AVIF, though in some fringe cases fallback is still needed. (RUMvision [Real User Monitoring])

For use cases: AVIF shines when you’re dealing with product photos, hero or banner images, or any scenario where you need both high-quality visuals and small file sizes.

Because it compresses better, you can get sharper images for the same bandwidth, which helps your site look great and perform well.

WebP vs. AVIF: Choosing the Right Image Format

When you’re optimizing images for your website, the debate often comes down to WebP versus AVIF.

Both belong to the next generation of image formats, but the right choice depends on what you need for your visitors and your SEO goals.

Think of it this way: sometimes speed matters most, and sometimes detail is everything.

Lossy compression helps you shrink down large images so they load faster, while lossless compression preserves every pixel of detail for situations where high-quality visuals are essential.

The balance between the two determines whether your site feels fast or looks flawless.

When WebP is the better choice:

WebP is supported by all major browsers, making it the safer format when compatibility is a priority.

It delivers smaller file sizes than traditional formats like JPEG and PNG, while maintaining solid visual quality.

If you’re running an e-commerce site with many product photos or managing a blog with lots of hero images, WebP ensures faster load times without alienating visitors who use older browsers.

When AVIF takes the lead:

The AVIF format is newer but offers superior compression and better quality at even smaller file sizes.

It’s an excellent option for high-resolution images, product pages, and situations where detail makes the difference.

AVIF support in web browsers has grown significantly, but it’s still not as universal as WebP.

That’s why it works best in a layered strategy where AVIF is served first, with fallback options.

Fallbacks and older formats:

Even though modern formats are the future, some users still rely on older formats like JPEG.

To avoid losing traffic or creating a poor experience, serve different formats based on browser support.

This way, mobile users, desktop users, and those on various devices all see the images as intended.

In the end, there’s no single “best format” for every situation.

The right choice comes down to specific needs.

If your priority is wider platform support and consistent delivery, WebP format is your ally.

If you want the best results in terms of smaller image file sizes and better quality, AVIF files are the smarter investment.

Many sites find the sweet spot by using both.

Best Practices for Using WebP and AVIF Without Hurting SEO

Switching to next-gen formats can transform your website performance, but only if you implement them correctly.

Done wrong, even the best image format can backfire, slowing down your site or causing compatibility issues.

Done right, you’ll enjoy faster page load, stronger search results, and a better user experience.

Here are the best practices to make sure your WebP images and AVIF images improve, rather than hurt, your SEO:

1. Keep the original image safe
   Always store the original image file. Whether it’s a RAW photo or a high-quality PNG, you’ll want a master copy for future image optimization. As design tools and online tools evolve, you may need to reprocess files for better performance.
2. Use responsive images
   Your visitors view your site on different devices and every screen size imaginable. Serving responsive images ensures that a mobile user doesn’t waste bandwidth downloading a high-resolution image meant for a large desktop screen.
3. Implement lazy loading
   This simple technique delays loading of large images until the visitor scrolls to them. It reduces initial page load time, helps with page load speed, and directly benefits core web vitals.
4. Leverage CDNs for faster delivery
   A content delivery network (CDN) or specialized image CDN can serve your images from servers closer to your visitors. This dramatically improves page speed, especially for users far from your main hosting location. It also helps deliver smaller images to the right device without extra work on your end.
5. Never skip alt text
   Every image type, from product photos to hero images, should have alt text. It’s not just for accessibility; it’s also a ranking signal that helps search engines understand your content and improve your visibility in search results.
6. Choose the right tools for the job
   Whether you’re using command-line tools, design tools, or online tools, make sure they can properly convert images into modern formats without damaging visual quality. The right tools help content creators and web developers save time and deliver high-quality visuals.
7. Test, adjust, repeat
   Use performance testing platforms to see how your site scores on largest contentful paint and other core web vitals. Regular testing ensures you’re getting the best results and not unintentionally slowing your site with unoptimized images.

If you follow these steps, WebP format and the AVIF image format can become powerful allies.

Both will help you find the right balance between better compression, high-quality images, and the faster loading that search engines love.

Implementation Tips for Web Developers

Getting WebP and AVIF working smoothly on a site isn’t just about converting files.

Developers play a key role in ensuring these formats deliver the best possible performance without compromising the user experience.

The first step is detecting browser support.

Not every browser handles AVIF or WebP perfectly yet, so serving the best format automatically is critical.

Most major browsers support these formats today, but fallback is still necessary for older ones.

That’s where the <picture> tag in HTML comes in handy.

It allows you to provide multiple image sources, so if a browser doesn’t support AVIF, it can fall back to WebP or even a traditional format like JPEG.

This way, no visitor is left with a broken image.

Another practical step is using the image optimization features built into content delivery networks.

Modern CDNs can automatically serve the right format and size depending on the user’s device, cutting down on wasted bandwidth and improving page speed.

Compatibility is another detail that can’t be ignored.

Testing across various devices and web browsers ensures your images load correctly for everyone.

It’s easy to focus only on desktop during development, but most web traffic now comes from mobile users who rely on fast, lightweight images.

Finally, optimize the image data itself.

Large images that aren’t compressed properly are one of the top causes of slow load times.

Tools and scripts can reduce file sizes without harming visual quality, especially for mobile audiences where connection speeds can vary.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even with modern formats, it’s surprisingly easy to fall into traps that hurt both performance and SEO.

Here are some of the most common pitfalls.

One is uploading large images without compression.

It doesn’t matter if the format is advanced, if the file size is huge, your page speed will take a hit.

Another is failing to provide fallback for older formats.

Without JPEG or PNG as backups, users on browsers that don’t support AVIF may end up seeing broken images.

Another mistake is chasing the highest possible quality without considering file size.

High-quality visuals are important, but not if they triple the load time.

The key is finding the right balance.

Skipping alt text is another costly error.

Alt text isn’t just about accessibility; it’s also an important signal for search engines.

Without it, you’re missing an SEO opportunity.

Finally, many sites upload unoptimized images to high-visibility areas like hero sections or product pages.

These are often the largest files on a page, and if they’re not optimized, they can drag down core web vitals and frustrate visitors.

The Future of Image Optimization

Looking ahead, next-gen formats like WebP and AVIF are becoming a powerful tool for improving both site performance and user experience.

AVIF, in particular, is gaining ground thanks to its superior compression and ability to preserve visual quality even at smaller file sizes.

Platform support continues to expand.

By late 2025, most major browsers offer strong support for both AVIF and WebP, making them safe choices for production use.

That said, fallback to older formats will remain necessary for a while longer, especially for certain embedded systems and older versions of browsers.

For content creators and web developers, the focus will be on making the right choices for each use case.

Not every image needs to be AVIF. For quick-loading thumbnails, WebP may still be the better format.

For detailed product photos, AVIF could deliver the best results.

One thing is certain: performance and speed will continue to be major ranking factors in search engines.

Faster load times, better visuals, and lighter pages aren’t just nice to have; they’re essential for staying competitive.

Conclusion

Getting the most out of WebP and AVIF comes down to applying best practices consistently.

Always choose the right format for the right use case, whether that means AVIF for detailed product photos or WebP for broad browser support.

Balance visual quality with smaller file sizes to ensure the best results, and never lose sight of page speed, user experience, and how they tie directly to search results.

If your site is still relying only on older formats, now is the time to make the switch.

Audit your web page images, explore how next-gen formats can fit into your workflow, and take the steps to adopt WebP and AVIF.

Doing so will give your visitors a faster, smoother experience, and give your site a stronger edge in search visibility.