The short answer
For text, paste as plain text, keep headings as headings, and avoid rewriting headings or titles without checking search impact. For images, upload at roughly the size it will be shown, use JPEG, PNG, WebP or AVIF, give it a descriptive filename and write alt text describing what it shows. Preview on mobile before approving.
Editing text: the formatting traps
The most common problem is copying text from Word, Google Docs or an email and pasting it into the page. The text arrives with hidden styling: a different font, an odd size, sometimes a stray background colour. The page looks fine on your screen and wrong on someone else's. Paste as plain text (on most computers that is Ctrl+Shift+V or Cmd+Shift+V), then apply headings and bold inside the editor.
The second trap is headings. A heading is not just big text. It is a label that tells visitors, assistive technology and search engines what a section is about. Using bold text where a heading belongs, or using a heading just to make something large, weakens the structure of the page. Each page should have one main heading (an h1), and sections below it should use h2 and h3 in order.
Which text changes are safe and which need care
| Change | Risk | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Fix a typo or a price | Low | Edit and check the preview |
| Add a paragraph that helps the reader | Low | Keep it on topic for the page |
| Rewrite the main heading or opening paragraph | Medium | Keep the words people use to find this service |
| Change the page title or meta description | Medium | Google decides how titles show, so write for clarity and keep it distinct from other pages |
| Delete large sections | Higher | Check what the section ranked or answered before removing it |
| Change the page address (URL) | High | Needs a permanent redirect; ask us |
How text changes show up in Google
Google builds the clickable title in search results from several sources, including the page title and the visible headings. Google's documentation says that when you update those, Google has to recrawl the page to notice, and that can take a few days to a few weeks. So if you change a heading on Monday, you will not see the new version in search on Tuesday. That is normal and not a sign anything is wrong.
Google's own advice on judging changes is to wait a few weeks before deciding whether a change helped. Not every change is noticeable, and some need a second try. Patience matters more than constant tweaking.
Swapping an image: the order to do it in
- 1Choose the right file. Use the original, high quality version, not a screenshot or a photo someone sent through a messaging app, which compresses it.
- 2Size it before uploading if you can. If the image will appear 800 pixels wide on the page, a 6000 pixel original wastes data. Many Webtec sites resize images automatically, but a huge file still slows the upload and the page. Ask us if you are unsure of the right dimensions.
- 3Use a sensible format. Google Search supports BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, WebP, SVG and AVIF. In practice, JPEG or WebP for photos, PNG for graphics with sharp edges or transparency, SVG for logos and icons.
- 4Name the file descriptively before you upload it: black-leather-sofa-showroom.jpg, not IMG_4021.jpg. Google recommends short but descriptive filenames.
- 5Upload it to the Media Library, then add alt text (below), then place it. In WordPress, the Replace button on the Image block swaps in a new file.
- 6Check the page on your phone. An image that looks balanced on a desktop can crop strangely on a narrow screen.
Alt text: describe the image, do not stuff it
Alt text is a short written description of an image. Screen readers read it aloud to people who cannot see the picture, and search engines use it to understand what the image shows. Google calls it the most important attribute for image metadata, and warns against keyword stuffing.
Write it like you would describe the photo to someone on the phone. Good: "Technician fitting a heat pump outside a brick house." Poor: "heat pump installation heat pump service best heat pump Stockholm." If an image is purely decorative, WordPress has a Mark as decorative option so screen readers skip it. One more detail from the WordPress docs: alt text entered in the block settings only applies to that page, while alt text entered in the Media Library becomes the default whenever the image is reused.
Do not use Insert from URL to place an image from another website. WordPress notes the image may stop showing if the original is moved, deleted or no longer shared, and you may not have the right to use it. Upload your own copy.
What swapping an image can change in search
Google works out what an image is about partly from the text around it, so an image sitting next to relevant text on a relevant page helps. Moving a photo to an unrelated page, or replacing a descriptive image with a generic stock photo, loses some of that context.
If you replace a file that has a lot of search traffic, such as a product photo or a diagram, keep the topic the same and keep the alt text meaningful. If an image was linked from other sites, deleting it breaks those links, so ask us before removing anything.
Example: A text and image edit done well
A physiotherapy clinic wants a new team photo and a new first paragraph on its About page. The owner sends the page link, the old wording, the new wording and a Drive link to a 3000 pixel wide original named westside-physio-team.jpg. The note says: "Keep the heading 'About Westside Physio' and the page address as they are. Alt text: 'The five physiotherapists at Westside Physio in the clinic reception.'" The preview shows the new photo cropping badly on mobile, so one reply asks for a wider crop. It is fixed, approved and live, and the page title, heading and URL never changed.
When to ask us
Send a request through the support form whenever a change touches a heading, page title, page address or a high-traffic image, or when you are unsure about image size or format. Include the page link, the old and new wording, and images as shared links. If the change is large, such as a full page rewrite, read request a website update first and consider whether it needs a new page instead. Never send passwords.
