Images Are Your Site's Biggest Speed Enemy
Images typically account for over 40% of a page's weight. One uncompressed 4MB image loses you half your mobile visitors before loading finishes — and Google measures this precisely via Core Web Vitals, ranking slow sites lower.
The Numbers You Need to Know
Target under 200KB per image. 1200px width suffices for article content images; hero covers at 1920px. WebP is 25–35% smaller than JPEG at equal quality and supported everywhere modern. Optimal compression sits between 70–85%.
Compress Images Free Without Uploading Them
Most online compression services upload your photos to their servers — a privacy and speed problem at once. Use our [free image compressor](/en/tools/image-compressor) that runs entirely in your browser: pick an image, set the level, download instantly without leaving your device.
A Practical Checklist Before Publishing Any Image
First: resize to actual display dimensions — never publish a 5000px camera shot inside an article. Second: compress below 200KB. Third: name files descriptively (saudi-cat.webp not IMG_1234.jpg). Fourth: add descriptive alt text — it serves SEO and visually-impaired users alike.