yoast seo how to change image next to url

How to Change the Image Next to Your URL Using Yoast SEO in WordPress

How to change image Next to Url in yoast seo?

If you are used to sharing links on social media or elsewhere, you could have noticed that some sites would show you a preview image along with the URL. Chances are, that just happens to be an important element beautifying your link by turning it into an exciting visual block. But what if the image that appears isn't desired? Well, this is where Yoast SEO in WordPress comes into play. 

Below, in this post, I am going to take you through some simple steps of how you can change an image appearing next to your URL using the Yoast SEO plugin.

Why Does an Image Appear Next to a URL?

Whenever you throw a link onto those social platforms, like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, they generate a preview: a title, a description, and an image. They pull those in based on something called “Open Graph” tags. The good thing about Yoast SEO is that it allows you to edit those Open Graph tags; hence, you can actually control what image comes up.

Changing the Image Using Yoast SEO: How It Is Done

Step 1: Installing and Activating Yoast SEO

Before you get started, first ensure that the Yoast SEO plugin is installed and activated within WordPress. If you have not yet done so, pop up your WordPress dashboard, click Plugins > Add New, and search for “Yoast SEO.” Install and activate it now.

Step 2: Set Featured Image – Optional, But Highly Recommended

By default, most social platforms will pull the featured image of your post/page. So to ensure the proper image is pulling, first set a featured image:

  • Open a Post or a Page to edit it.
  • The Featured Image option is on the right-hand sidebar.
  • Upload your desired image here, which will appear when the URL is being shared.

This would work most of the time if you do not want to be too specific; otherwise, if you need full control, follow along in the next steps.

Step 3: Forward to Yoast SEO Meta Box

Now, head down to the bottom of your post/page editor in the Yoast SEO meta box, where the details of your metadata will be refined, including which image will show up next to your URL.

  • Open the post/page editor of the image which you want to replace.
  • Scroll down to the Yoast SEO meta box – it is by default placed under the content editor.
  • Click on the Social tab in the Yoast SEO box.

Step 4: Uploading Image for Social Share

In the Social tab, you’ll see options for customizing how your post appears on different platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

  • Upload in the Facebook section the image you want to appear when your post is shared.
  • Apply the same to the Twitter section if you need another image to appear for Twitter shares.

Make sure the picture is optimized for the platform:

  • Facebook: At least 1200 x 630 pixels.
  • Twitter: The minimum resolution is 600 x 335 pixels; for better reproduction, the suggested size is 1200 x 675.

Step 5: Editing Title and Description

While in the Social tab, you are also able to set a title and description for when the image goes live – super useful if you want to add context or a call to action to your post.

  • Facebook Title: Customize what shows up as the title in the preview.
  • Description: Facebook uses a description that complements the image.
  • Twitter Title & Description: If you want text other than above on Twitter, fill it in here.

Step 6: SAVE and TEST Your Changes

Having uploaded your image, edited the title, and edited the description, remember to save or update your post or page. To exercise your changes, you can use the following tools:

  • Facebook Sharing Debugger: This tool shows how it is going to look once it's shared, and it will allow forcing it to re-scrape the data in case Facebook shows a very old image.
  • Twitter Cards Validator: The Card Validator provides an indication of how the tweet is going to appear and can troubleshoot a problem.

Final Words

That's a pretty basic yet powerful way of customizing the image that's sitting next to your URL. Not only flexible in managing search engine metadata, but Yoast SEO is also agile in manipulating social sharing details. From the above steps, you should be able to comfortably adjust the image, title, and description for any well-shared link.

Happy Optimizing!

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