How Should a Small Business Use Images and Video on Its Website?

By Bill Stilwell · Last reviewed October 16, 2026

The short answer

Use only images and video you have the right to use, keep the files small so pages load fast, write alt text that describes what’s in each image, and add captions and transcripts to video with speech. Put each image near the text it supports. Google’s image guidance says alt text is the most important extra detail you can give about an image.

Why it matters

Real photos of your work build trust faster than anything you can write. But images also cause three common problems.

Legal risk. The U.S. Copyright Office says a work is protected as soon as it’s created. Using someone else’s photo without permission can be infringement, even if you found it free online.
Slow pages. Big image files are one of the most common reasons small business sites load slowly (see 19.5.3 Page Speed).
Locked-out visitors. People who use screen readers can’t see images, and people who can’t hear can’t follow video without captions (see 9.7.3 Website Accessibility).

Two related lines live on other pages. For using a consistent look across images, see 8.4.7 Brand Consistency. For permission before showing customers, homes, or vehicles, see 11.1.12 Photo Permission.

19.11.1 Permissions

What it means: Confirming you have the rights to every image, video, logo, voice, and music track you use.

How to do it:

Use your own photos and video when you can. The Copyright Office says the person who takes a photo is usually its owner, unless it’s work for hire.
If a photographer or video editor makes content for you, get a written agreement that says what you can use it for (see 27.3.5 Licenses and Permissions for Content).
For stock images and music, keep the license and check what it allows.
Keep a media rights log: file name, where it came from, who owns it, the license, and any limits.

Common mistake: Grabbing an image from a search result. The Copyright Office says there’s no set amount you can safely use, and fair use is decided case by case.

19.11.2 File size

What it means: Making files small enough to load fast without looking bad.

How to do it:

Resize photos to the largest size they’ll actually display. A phone photo is often far bigger than your page needs.
Use modern formats. Google’s web.dev guidance says WebP works in all modern browsers, and AVIF can be much smaller than JPEG.
Add width and height to image tags so the page doesn’t jump while it loads.
Lazy load images further down the page, but not the main image at the top. Google’s web.dev guidance says to lazy load only images outside the first screen.
Host long videos on a video platform and embed them, rather than uploading big video files to your site.

Common mistake: Uploading a 6 megabyte photo straight from a phone to the home page banner.

19.11.3 Descriptions

What it means: Useful alternative text (alt text) that says what an image shows.

How to do it: Describe the image in a short phrase, the way you’d tell someone on the phone. Google’s example favors “Dalmatian puppy playing fetch” over just “puppy.” For a roofer, “new architectural shingle roof on a two-story home” beats “roof.” Use short, descriptive file names too, like “gutter-guard-install.jpg” instead of “IMG00023.jpg.” For purely decorative images, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) allow an empty alt so screen readers skip them.

Common mistake: Stuffing keywords. Google says keyword-filled alt text can make your site look like spam.

19.11.4 Captions

What it means: Captions for video with speech, and transcripts where they help.

How to do it: WCAG says prerecorded video with audio should have captions, and audio-only content like a podcast should have a transcript. Good captions name who is speaking and include important sounds. Most video platforms create automatic captions. Review them, because they get names, products, and local places wrong.

Common mistake: Publishing auto captions without reading them.

19.4.7 Images

What it means: On each page, use images that are relevant, permitted, and optimized.

How to do it: Pick images that show the exact service on that page. Place them near the text they relate to. Google’s image guidance says it uses nearby text, captions, and titles to understand images. Then apply 19.11.1 to 19.11.3.

Common mistake: The same stock photo on every service page.

When to get help from a pro

An attorney familiar with copyright: if someone claims you used their image, or you want to use music, logos, or content someone else made. Questions to ask:

Does my agreement with my photographer let me use these photos in ads and on my profile?
What should I do if I get a copyright claim about an image on my site?

A web developer: if your images are slowing the site and your platform doesn’t resize them for you.

Bill’s note

[Bill: add a short story or lesson here. For example, a client who got a copyright demand letter over a stock photo a past web designer added, or how much faster a site got after resizing images.]

If you’d rather have this done for you, SiteSmarty builds websites with optimized images and handles Google Business Profile photos.

How I did this for SiteSmarty

[Date I did this:]
[What I actually did, step by step: where SiteSmarty’s images came from, how I logged the rights, and how I resized them]
[What it cost and how long it took:]
[What surprised me or what I’d do differently:]
[Screenshot or photo to add, with private info blurred: the media rights log and a before and after file size for one image]
[Result so far:]

Questions people ask

Can I use photos I find on Google? Not without permission. The Copyright Office says photos are protected as soon as they’re taken.

What should alt text say? What the image shows, in a short, plain phrase. Don’t stuff keywords.

What image format is best for websites? WebP works in all modern browsers and is usually smaller than JPEG. AVIF can be even smaller.

Do my videos need captions? WCAG says prerecorded video with speech should have captions. They also help people who watch with the sound off.

How big should website images be? No bigger than the size they display on the page. Resize before you upload.

Audit check

Line	Question	Pass looks like	Fail looks like	Evidence to collect
19.11.1 Permissions	Is there proof of rights for every image, video, and track?	Rights log with owner and license	Images from search results, no records	Media rights log, licenses, agreements
19.11.2 File size	Are files sized and compressed for the web?	Resized, modern formats, width and height set	Huge phone photos, layout jumps	Page speed report, file sizes
19.11.3 Descriptions	Does each meaningful image have useful alt text?	Short, accurate descriptions	Missing or keyword-stuffed alt	Page code or accessibility checker
19.11.4 Captions	Do videos with speech have reviewed captions?	Captions checked for errors	No captions, or unreviewed auto captions	Video settings, caption files
19.4.7 Images	Does each page use relevant, permitted, optimized images near related text?	Service-specific photos by the right text	Same stock photo everywhere	Page screenshots

Where this fits

Do this first: 11.1.12 Photo Permission, 8.4.7 Brand Consistency, 19.2 Content Strategy

Do this next: 19.12 Content Maintenance

Sources

Google Search Central, "Image SEO best practices" (checked October 16, 2026)
Google Search Central, "Video SEO best practices" (checked October 16, 2026)
web.dev, "Image performance" (checked October 16, 2026)
web.dev, "Browser-level image lazy loading for the web" (checked October 16, 2026)
W3C, "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2" (checked October 16, 2026)
U.S. Copyright Office, "What Photographers Should Know about Copyright" (checked October 16, 2026)
U.S. Copyright Office, "More Information on Fair Use" (checked October 16, 2026)

This page explains general rules and Bill's own experience. It is not legal, tax, or insurance advice. Talk to a qualified professional about your situation.