A featured image is the primary representative image for a WordPress post, displayed alongside or before the post title. Featured images, also called post thumbnails, help boost engagement and pageviews when used effectively.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll explore how experienced WordPress site owners can maximize the impact of featured images.
Contents
Why You Need to Use Featured Images
Well-chosen featured images are crucial for catching readers‘ attention in WordPress. Let‘s look at some of the data:
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Posts with featured images get 94% more views than posts without them, according to research by Search Engine Journal.
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Tweets with images receive 150% more retweets than text-only tweets, says Buffer‘s analysis.
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Posts with relevant images get 65% more likes on Instagram and 53% more likes on Facebook per Rival IQ.
Here‘s a comparison of how much featured images impact key metrics:
| Metric | Increase With Featured Image |
|---|---|
| Click-Through Rate | 40% |
| Time on Page | 15% |
| Social Shares | 100%+ |
With stats like these, there‘s no question that featured images can significantly improve the performance of your WordPress content.
Featured images provide the following benefits:
- Visual appeal – Break up text and grab readers‘ attention
- Social engagement – Increase likes, shares, and clicks
- SEO – Improve click-through rates and dwell time signals
- Navigation – Help users quickly scan and identify posts
- Branding – Enable consistent image styling across your site
Let‘s look at how to add them properly and choose the best ones.
Step-by-Step: Adding Featured Images in WordPress
The good news is adding a featured image takes just a few clicks:
- When creating or editing a post, click "Set featured image" in the sidebar.
- Upload an image or choose one from your media library.
- Crop or edit the image if desired.
- Click "Set featured image" to save your selection.
Here are some pro tips to take your featured images to the next level:
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Optimize sizing – Pay attention to your theme‘s recommended image dimensions. This prevents distortion. For example, my theme displays featured images at 800×450 pixels.
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Pick relevant photos – Select images clearly depicting the post topic. This reinforces what readers can expect from your content at a glance.
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Use minimal text overlays – Some themes allow text overlays on featured images. Use this sparingly to avoid clutter.
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Set a fallback image – Define a default image in case any posts are missing one. Your logo or a relevant graphic works nicely as a fallback.
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Require images – If you have multiple authors, enable the setting to require a featured image when publishing. This ensures quality across all posts.
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Hide selectively – You can hide the featured image on individual posts where you want content to take center stage.
With strategic featured image optimization, you can boost engagement across your WordPress site. But where do you find great featured images?
Finding Stunning Royalty Free Featured Images
It can be tempting to quickly grab an image from Google for your featured image. But most search results are copyrighted material.
Using a copyrighted image without permission can lead to legal action.
Instead, utilize royalty free stock image sites. Here are my top recommendations as a WordPress expert:
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Pexels – Robust community-contributed collection with universal license. Easy to search and use.
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Unsplash – Massive selection of photos you can use for free. Attribution required.
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Burst – Provided by Shopify, Burst offers stylish, modern stock images at no cost.
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Gratisography – Curated free images with quirky vintage vibe. No attribution needed.
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Canva – Design tool Canva offers templates and images you‘re allowed to modify and use.
With these high-quality sources, you can give your posts compelling featured images risk-free.
Now let‘s discuss the difference between featured images and other image types.
Featured Image vs. Cover Image: What‘s the Difference?
Sometimes featured images get confused with cover images in WordPress, but they serve distinct purposes:
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A featured image represents an entire piece of content. It appears alongside or above a post or page.
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A cover image displays inside the body of content, often at the top of a page or section. Cover images divide long pages into logical parts.
Think of featured images like a movie poster – they advertise what the content is about. Cover images are more like chapter illustrations within the content itself.
For example, a blog post on "The Best Hiking Trails in Banff" could have:
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A featured image of a hiker looking at mountains to represent the post beside the title.
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A cover image of a scenic mountain lake at the start of the "Top 5 Easy Trails" section partway down the post.
Understanding the distinction between the two will help you use both types effectively.
Professional Tips for Choosing Featured Images
Picking the perfect featured image is part skill, part art. Here are my top expert tips for selecting images that maximize impact:
Use High-Quality Photos
Well-photographed, high-resolution images make the best featured images. Avoid grainy, distorted, or pixilated images.
Ideally, your images should:
- Be at least 1080px wide (bigger is better)
- Use PNG or JPG formats
- Have a file size under 2MB
- Look professional – proper focus, framing, lighting
This ensures featured images look polished when displayed on your site.
Size Images to Your Theme
Pay attention to the featured image dimensions specified by your theme. This prevents unwanted stretching or weird cropping.
For example, resize to a standard 1200×628 pixels or customize if your theme recommends something specific.
Pick Relevant, Recognizable Images
Choose photos clearly depicting the post topic. Readers will better understand what your content is about at a glance.
If writing about "Best Pizza in NYC", don‘t use a generic stock photo of pizza – feature a familiar NYC pizzeria facade or slice with recognizable pepperoni.
Use Text & Graphics Sparingly
Some themes allow text or graphic overlays on featured images. Use these minimally to avoid looking cluttered.
The image itself should convey the essence of the post without relying on text.
Maintain a Consistent Style
A cohesive image style across your site promotes a strong visual brand. Consider:
- Consistent image ratios and sizes
- Complementary filters, effects, or color palettes
- Distinct styles for different content categories
Optimize Technically
Use sharp, compressed image file types. Add relevant alt text. Enable lazy loading. This improves site speed and SEO.
With these tips, you can develop winning featured images that align perfectly with your brand and captivate readers.
Let me know if you have any other questions on mastering featured images in WordPress!
