WebP and AVIF: Do Next-gen Formats Improve SEO?

WebP and AVIF are modern image formats designed to make images much lighter than traditional JPEG or PNG files while keeping the same quality. Smaller images load faster, improve Core Web Vitals, and enhance the user experience. And that’s exactly what Google recommends as part of image optimization for SEO. 

In this article, you’ll learn how WebP and AVIF impact SEO, how these formats affect Core Web Vitals, and how much they are the best image format for website speed. You’ll also discover the best conversion tools for WordPress, with a clear comparison table and performance tests to see which solution shrinks image files the most for maximum performance and SEO gains. 

TL;DR  WebP and AVIF do not directly improve SEO rankings, but they indirectly boost SEO by improving loading speed and Core Web Vitals. Both next-gen image formats significantly reduce file size compared to JPEG and PNG while preserving image quality. On average, WebP images are about 35% smaller, and AVIF images are about 50% smaller, which helps pages load faster and improves user experience. WebP is ideal when browser compatibility is the priority, as almost all modern browsers support it. AVIF is best when maximum compression and the smallest file size are the goals, delivering superior performance gains.

Key Takeaways – WebP vs AVIF for SEO 

✅ Google does not rank websites higher simply because they use WebP or AVIF. 

✅ Next-gen image formats reduce file size, which leads to faster page loading and improved Core Web Vitals. 

✅ Lighter images positively impact user experience, engagement, and key performance metrics like Largest Contentful Paint (LCP). 

✅ Faster websites tend to perform better in organic search according to Google. 

✅ Tools like Imagify and WP Rocket simplify image optimization for SEO through conversion, compression, lazy loading, and critical image optimization. 

✅ Choose AVIF if your priority is the smallest possible file size and maximum performance. 

✅ Choose WebP if you need near-universal browser support with excellent compression. 

What Are WebP and AVIF Image Formats? 

WebP and AVIF are modern image formats designed to reduce file size while preserving high visual quality. They were created to replace older formats such as JPEG and PNG, which are heavier and less efficient for the web. 

• WebP is an image format developed by Google that delivers superior compression for web images while maintaining high visual quality. WebP was introduced by Google in 2010 with a clear goal: to make websites faster by reducing image file sizes without sacrificing quality. 
• AVIF is a newer image format developed by the Alliance for Open Media (AOM) that improves compression efficiency, particularly for high-resolution images. 

How WebP and AVIF Compress Images Better Than JPEG and PNG 

JPEG and PNG compression methods are limited. JPEG uses older lossy compression that removes data less efficiently, while PNG uses lossless compression that preserves all image data, resulting in larger file sizes. 

WebP and AVIF use modern compression algorithms that analyze images more cleverly: 

• They remove redundant and invisible data that the human eye cannot perceive. 
• They compress colors, textures, and gradients more efficiently. 
• They store image data in smaller, more optimized blocks. 

Key Differences Between JPEG/PNG and WebP/AVIF  

JPEG and PNG have been the standard image formats for years, but they are no longer optimized for modern web performance. Here’s a breakdown of the key differences between JPEG/PNG and next-gen formats like WebP and AVIF, including compression ratio, image quality, browser support, and the best use cases for each. 

Compression Ratio 

• JPEG / PNG: Lower compression efficiency, larger file sizes. 
• WebP: Excellent compression, typically 25-35% smaller than JPEG. 
• AVIF: Best compression ratio available, often 40-50% smaller than JPEG. 

🏆 Winner: AVIF for maximum size reduction, WebP as a strong alternative. 

Image Quality 

• JPEG: Quality may degrade quickly at higher compression 
• PNG: High-quality but very heavy files. 
• WebP: It maintains good visual quality at smaller sizes. 
• AVIF: It preserves fine details, gradients, and colors even at very low file sizes. 

🏆 Winner: AVIF offers the best quality-to-size ratio. 

Transparency Support 

• JPEG: No transparency support. 
• PNG: It supports transparency but results in large files. 
• WebP: It supports transparency with much smaller files. 
• AVIF: It supports transparency efficiently. 

🏆 Winner: WebP and AVIF can both replace PNG effectively. 

Browser Support 

• JPEG / PNG: Supported everywhere. 
• WebP: Near-universal support across all modern browsers. 
• AVIF: Near-universal support but still requires fallbacks for browsers like QQ.  

🏆 Winner: WebP for compatibility, AVIF with fallback strategy.

Best Use Cases 

Product images 

• WebP or AVIF reduces page weight and improves conversions. 
• AVIF is ideal when supported, WebP as a fallback. 

Blog images 

• WebP is often the best balance of size, quality, and compatibility. 
• AVIF offers extra gains for image-heavy blogs. 

Hero banners and large visuals 

• AVIF shines here due to superior compression on large images and dramatically improves Largest Contentful Paint (LCP).  

Summary Table: Key Differences Between JPEG, PNG, WebP and AVIF  

	JPEG	PNG	WebP	AVIF
High compression efficiency	❌	❌	✅	✅
Smaller file size than JPEG	❌	❌	✅	✅✅
Excellent quality at small sizes	❌	❌	✅	✅
Transparency support	❌	✅	✅	✅
Improve image delivery (PageSpeed Insights audit)	❌	❌	✅	✅
Near-universal browser support	✅	✅	✅	✅*
Ideal for product & blog images	❌	❌	✅	✅
Best for large / hero images (LCP)	❌	❌	✅	✅✅

* AVIF is supported by all modern browsers but may still require fallbacks for some less common browsers. 

Why Unoptimized Images Slow Down Websites 

Images are often the heaviest assets on a webpage. For example, in our example, images take up almost 90% of the total page size and almost half of the request: 

When not optimized, they increase page weight, slow load times, and negatively affect Core Web Vitals, especially Largest Contentful Paint (LCP).  
LCP measures how long it takes for the largest visible element on the page to load, and in most cases, that element is an image (your hero banner or a featured product image). Core Web Vitals are part of Google’s ranking algorithm, and keeping them in the green helps improve search visibility. 

To help maintain Core Web Vitals in good shape and avoid performance issues, your images should be: 

• Served at the right dimensions for both mobile and desktop 
• Delivered in next-gen formats like WebP or AVIF 
• Properly compressed without visible quality loss 

Remember, the heavier your images are, the longer browsers need to download and render them. This is even more critical on mobile networks. Slow images directly affect user experience, SEO rankings, and even conversion rates. 

💡 Hint: Using modern formats like WebP and AVIF significantly reduces image weight, speeds up page loading, and helps keep your website fast and responsive without compromising visual quality.

Do WebP and AVIF Improve Rankings?

The short answer is indirectly, yes. WebP and AVIF reduce image file sizes, which makes pages load faster and improves Core Web Vitals. Better performance means a better user experience, and that’s exactly what Google rewards when evaluating and ranking websites. 

How WebP Impacts SEO  

WebP improves SEO primarily through performance gains. By compressing images to a significantly smaller size than JPEG or PNG, WebP reduces page weight and improves load times. This directly supports image optimization and helps boost the Core Web Vitals:  

Does Google Rank AVIF Websites Higher?  

AVIF can indirectly help improve rankings because it dramatically reduces image file sizes, which makes pages load faster and improves Core Web Vitals. Faster pages create a better user experience, which Google actively rewards. 

AVIF also helps at the crawling and indexing level. Smaller images reduce bandwidth usage and speed up page rendering, allowing Googlebot to crawl more pages efficiently. Google explicitly states that faster loading and rendering improve crawl efficiency and help avoid server load issues. 

💡 Good to know: Since 2024, AVIF is fully supported in Google Search, including Google Images. John Mueller, Search Advocate at Google Switzerland, confirmed:  “You don’t need to do anything special to have your AVIF files indexed by Google.” That means AVIF images are crawlable, indexable, and SEO-friendly by default.

WebP vs AVIF: Performance Differences  

Both formats significantly improve performance compared to JPEG and PNG, but their compression efficiency differs. In our real-world test using a 708 KB JPEG, converting the image to WebP reduced the file size to 531 KB (25% smaller), while AVIF achieved a larger reduction to 407 KB (45% smaller), with no visible loss in quality. 

And as you can see, the file sizes are smaller with WebP and AVIF, but the image quality has not been impacted:  

If you are hesitating between WebP and AVIF, see the comparison table below for a clear overview: 

	WebP	AVIF
Compression ratio  and file size reduction	Excellent compression, significantly smaller than JPEG and PNG (by 30% on average)	Superior compression to WebP in most cases. Significantly smaller than JPEG and PNG (by 40% on average)
Real-world example	JPEG 708 KB→ WebP 531 KB   (≈ 25% smaller)	JPEG 708 KB  → AVIF 407 KB  (≈ 45% smaller)
Image quality	Very good quality, may show artifacts at extreme compression	Outstanding quality, preserves details, gradients, and colors
Transparency support	Supported (can replace PNG)	Supported (can replace PNG)
Browser support	Universal support across modern browsers	Growing support may require fallbacks for older browsers (e.g, mini opera or QQ)
Best for…	Ideal for product catalogs and e-commerce, blog images	Excellent for high-quality product visuals or banners

WebP vs AVIF: Browser Compatibility 

Overall, WebP still offers the broadest browser compatibility. That said, AVIF has caught up significantly and now delivers near-equivalent support across modern browsers (see the screenshots below for up-to-date details). 

WebP Browser Support 

WebP is better supported overall. It works across nearly all modern browsers on desktop and mobile, including Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, and Android browsers, making it a safe default for most websites.

AVIF Browser Support  

While all the major browsers now support AVIF, some older versions and niche browsers such as QQ browser (widely used in China) and Opera Mini, may require a fallback, so AVIF is best used with a fallback strategy (e.g., AVIF + WebP).  

How to Convert Images to WebP and AVIF 

Converting images to next-gen formats such as WebP and AVIF can be done in three common ways: using a WordPress plugin, photo-editing software, or an online conversion tool. Let’s start with the easiest and most effective option for WordPress users. 

1. Imagify 

Imagify is the easiest image optimization plugin for WordPress. It automatically converts images to WebP or AVIF and applies Smart Compression to find the best balance between performance and visual quality. Image optimization runs asynchronously in the background, allowing you to optimize images in bulk without slowing down your site or workflow.

Tool Type: WordPress plugin 

Key Features 

• Automatic WebP and AVIF conversion 
• Smart compression that automatically finds the best balance between reducing the size and maintaining quality 
• Async bulk and single image optimization 
• Optimization of existing images and new uploads 

Performance: Imagify does more than simple format conversion. It also compresses images, resulting in much smaller files than conventional converters. 

• JPEG file: 708 KB 
• WebP with compression: 300 KB (57% smaller) 
• AVIF with compression: 242 KB (66% smaller) 

Pros 

• It’s built for WordPress with no need to leave the dashboard 
• It combines conversion and bulk compression in one tool 
• It lets you choose between WebP and AVIF 
• It helps improve Core Web Vitals, especially LCP 
• It helps fix PageSpeed Insights warnings like “Improve image delivery” 

Cons: The conversion feature is available only to WordPress users. 

Best for: WordPress users who want automatic image optimization in bulk or individually, without worrying about compression levels or quality loss. 

Pricing overview: Free plan includes up to 20 MB per month. Paid plans start at $4.99 per month for 500 MB and unlimited optimization for $9.99 per month. 

2. Photopea 

Photopea is a free, advanced image editor similar to Photoshop. It allows you to edit images and manually export them as WebP or AVIF using the “Save for Web” or other export options. 

Tool Type: Image editor 

Key Features 

• Manual WebP and AVIF export 
• Full control over quality settings 
• Advanced image editing capabilities 

Performance 

• JPEG: 708 KB 
• WebP: 690 KB 
• AVIF: 762 KB 

Note: In this test, the file size did not decrease significantly after conversion. 

Pros 

• High level of control over image quality 
• Useful for designers working on individual visuals 

Cons 

• No automatic compression or bulk optimization 
• Not integrated with WordPress 
• Time-consuming for large image libraries 
• File size reduction is limited compared to dedicated optimization tools 

Best for: Designers exporting a small number of images manually before upload, or those already using image-editing tools as part of their workflow. 

Pricing: Photopea is free. However, if you move to more advanced tools like Photoshop, an Adobe subscription is required, typically around €50 per month, or more for the full Adobe suite. 

3. Convertio

Convertio is an online file conversion tool that lets users convert images to WebP and AVIF directly in their browsers. It’s quick to use and requires no installation, making it a convenient option for occasional image format conversions. 

Tool type: Online image conversion tool 

Key features 

• It converts images to WebP and AVIF with a simple drag-and-drop interface 
• It works directly in the browser 
• It supports multiple file formats 
• No technical setup is required 

Performance: Convertio focuses on format conversion rather than advanced optimization. 

• JPEG: 708 KB  
• WebP: 531 KB (-25%) 
• AVIF: 407 KB (-40%) 

Pros 

• Very easy to use 
• No software installation required 
• Quick solution for one-off conversions 
• It supports many file formats 

Cons 

• No smart compression or fine optimization control 
• No bulk optimization for large image libraries 
• Not integrated with WordPress 
• Manual workflow with download and re-upload 

Best for: Users who need to convert a few images occasionally and want a fast, no-setup solution without installing WordPress plugins or software. 

Pricing: Convertio provides a free plan with file-size and daily conversion limits. Paid plans unlock larger file sizes, faster processing, and unlimited conversions. 

WebP and AVIF Converters Comparison Table: Imagify vs Photopea vs Convertio  

Feature	Imagify	Photopea	Convertio
Tool type	WordPress plugin	Image editor (software)	Online conversion tool
WordPress integration	✅ Yes (native)	❌ No	❌ No
WebP and AVIF conversion	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Automatic image compression	✅ Yes (on upload + existing images)	❌ No (manual only)	❌ No
Bulk conversion	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
SEO boost	✅✅ Conversion + compression	✅ Conversion only	✅ Conversion only
File quality preserved	✅ Yes (Smart compression)	⚠️ Depends on manual export settings	✅ Yes
JPEG → WebP results	~57% savings (708 KB → ~300 KB)	~0–10% savings (often similar size)	~25% savings (708 KB → 531 KB)
JPEG → AVIF results	~66% savings (708 KB → ~242 KB)	❌ Often larger (690 KB → 762 KB)	~43% savings (708 KB → 407 KB)
Best use case	Full image optimization for SEO on WordPress	Manual design exports	One-off image conversion
Typical workflow	Automatic, background optimization	Manual export per image	Manual upload and download

Verdict: Which Tool Should You Choose for WebP and AVIF Conversion? 

• If you are a WordPress user looking to automatically and easily convert JPEG or PNG images to WebP and AVIF, Imagify is the best choice. The plugin supports the two main image optimizations for SEO: AVIF/WebP conversion and Smart compression, directly in WordPress. It is ideal for websites with large image galleries, blogs, and WooCommerce product catalogs. 
• If you need a one-shot conversion for just one or two images and do not want compression or automation, an online tool like Convertio is sufficient. 
• If you are a designer using design software and want to export your visuals in AVIF or WebP while optimizing image format for website speed, tools like Photopea or Photoshop make sense, as long as you carefully manage export quality settings. 

How To Use WebP and AVIF To Improve Performance  

Website speed is closely linked to SEO, as Google rewards fast websites with strong Core Web Vitals scores. One of the most effective ways to improve page speed is to optimize images with next-gen formats such as WebP and AVIF, combined with smart compression. Let’s see how to do this easily with Imagify. 

As mentioned earlier, Imagify is the easiest WordPress image optimization plugin. It converts images to WebP or AVIF, either individually or in bulk, and applies smart compression to reduce file size without visible quality loss. This makes it an ideal solution for image optimization, SEO, and Core Web Vitals. 

Performance Before WebP and AVIF Conversion (No Imagify) 

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) was 6.3 seconds, clearly flagged as red score 

• Lighthouse recommended converting images to WebP or AVIF and applying compression 

• Images were heavy and slowed down page rendering 

At this stage, image delivery was the main performance bottleneck: 

New Results With Imagify (AVIF Conversion and Compression) 

After enabling Imagify and optimizing images with AVIF conversion and smart compression: 

• Images were properly served in AVIF and WebP 
• Core Web Vitals improved, with LCP reduced to 3.3 seconds 

• The image delivery issue flagged by Lighthouse was resolved. 

Another noticeable improvement is that our image file sizes dropped significantly: 

• JPEG to WebP with compression: 708 KB → 300 KB 

• JPEG to AVIF with compression: 708 KB → 242 KB 

And last but not least, despite the smaller file sizes, visual quality remains intact thanks to Imagify.  

FAQs: AVIF vs WebP  

Do WebP and AVIF improve Google rankings? 

WebP and AVIF do not directly improve Google rankings, but they indirectly support SEO by improving page load speed and Core Web Vitals. These next-gen formats serve much smaller images, resulting in lighter pages and faster load times. Google rewards faster websites in its algorithm.  

Which format is better for SEO: WebP or AVIF? 

For SEO, AVIF is generally better because it offers a higher compression ratio than WebP. This means even smaller file sizes and faster page load times. Faster pages improve Core Web Vitals, which supports better visibility in search results. 

Should I convert all images on my website to WebP or AVIF? 

AVIF offers better compression than WebP, but browser support is not 100%. For example, some browsers, such as QQ Browser, still do not fully support AVIF. If your audience includes regions where these browsers are common, it’s best to use a fallback strategy, serving AVIF first and WebP as a backup. 

Does Google prefer websites that use next-gen image formats? 

Yes. Google actively recommends converting images to next-generation formats such as WebP and AVIF using tools like PageSpeed Insights. Google also recommends compressing images and serving them at the correct size. All of these techniques improve Core Web Vitals and overall page experience. 

How do WebP and AVIF impact Core Web Vitals? 

WebP and AVIF reduce image file sizes, which helps pages load faster. This has a direct positive impact on Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), one of the most important Core Web Vitals metrics. Faster image delivery also improves overall visual stability (CLS) and perceived speed. 

Is AVIF supported on all browsers? 

Almost. All major modern browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge, support AVIF. Only a few niche browsers, such as Opera Mini and QQ Browser, lack full support. AVIF is safe to use with a fallback to WebP if you really want to be on the safe side. 

What’s the easiest way to convert images to WebP or AVIF? 

The easiest way to convert images to WebP or AVIF is to use Imagify, which lets you bulk-convert your entire media library to WebP or AVIF with one click. It also applies Smart compression automatically. If you don’t use WordPress, online tools like Convertio are a simple alternative for one-off conversions. 

Wrapping Up  

Traditional image formats like JPEG and PNG were created decades ago, long before modern performance requirements and mobile browsing. In contrast, next-gen image formats such as WebP and AVIF are designed to reduce file size while preserving visual quality, helping websites load faster and perform better in SEO. 

Looking for the best WebP for WordPress solution or a reliable AVIF for WordPress converter plugin? Imagify is the clear winner. It converts images to WebP and AVIF in one click while improving Core Web Vitals. Get started for free and instantly reduce image size while speeding up your site!