If you’re a website owner or web developer, you’ve noticed that using Font Awesome Icons, or PNG and JPG image formats slows down page loading speed, and Google takes speed very seriously. In this situation, SVG icons prove to be a game-changer.
Using SVG icons is now the modern approach, but not everyone knows how to use them correctly, and mistakes are often made when implementing them on their website.
In this article, I will explain with code examples how to properly use SVG icons, why they are good for SEO, which is the best way to use SVG icons, and what mistakes to avoid.
If we want to use SVG icons correctly to improve our website’s SEO, we can utilize image, object, and iframe tags, SVG sprites, and several other options.
In this guide, we will discuss the three most popular ways to use SVG Icons to Improve website SEO and Performance, and determine which method is the best.
This guide is specially useful for bloggers, developers, and SEO professionals who want better Core Web Vitals.
What is SVG Icons and Why Important for SEO?
First, it’s important to understand that SVG icons are not ordinary images.
Regular photos (JPG/PNG/WebP) are made up of pixels, while SVG icons are created using code. They are based on mathematical calculations.
SVG Icons offers three major advantages for SEO:
1. Website Speed
Since SVGs are simply code, their file size is very small (often less than 1KB). Google prefers websites that load quickly.
2. Quality
No matter how much you zoom in on an SVG, it never becomes pixelated or blurry. It looks perfectly sharp on both mobile and desktop devices.
3. Google can Read It
Google’s bots can’t see images, but they can read the code of an SVG. If you use it correctly, Google will understand what the icon represents.
Now, let’s talk about SVG icons and how to optimize them for SEO.
The Best Way to Use SVG Icons in Your Website & Optimize for SEO Benefits
There are several ways to use SVG icons on a website. However, very few people know how to use them correctly to improve a website’s SEO.
Here, I will tell you about the best methods and also explain which method is better for your site’s performance and SEO.
1. With Image Tag
The first and easiest way is to use SVG as an image tag (<img>). This is the simplest approach, because you can upload & use the SVG file just like a image.
Here is an example code:
<img src="icon.svg" alt="Icon title name" width="50" height="50">
The biggest advantage of this method is that the browser caches the image, means image will be downloaded only first time, the HTML is received.
However, the main disadvantage of this method is that you cannot change its color using CSS, and Google cannot index the code inside it.
SEO-optimized Image SVG:
For SEO optimization, you can add alt and title attributes, and if the SVG image is below the viewport, you can also use the loading=”lazy” attribute.
2. Inline SVG
The second method is to embed the SVG HTML code as directly plain text, you’ll just need to add few extra things as for image, but instead of the <img> tag, you use the <svg> HTML tag.
Something like this:
<svg width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24">
<path d="M20.067 18.933l-4.157-4.157a6 6 0 10-.884.884l4.157"></path>
</svg>
SEO-optimized Inline SVG:
If you want Google to understand your SVG icons, you’ll need to add a few things to their basic code and optimize them for SEO.
Here is the HTML code:
<svg width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" role="img" aria-label="Search icon">
<path d="M20.067 18.933l-4.157-4.157a6 6 0 10-.884.884l4.157"/>
</svg>
You should definitely add the role="img" and aria-label attributes to your inline SVG. This tells screen readers to treat this SVG as an image.
Also, be sure to include xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" attribute in your SVG icons. This is like the SVG’s identity card.
Without W3.org attribute, browsers (and Google) won’t know whether it’s an SVG or just regular HTML/XML.
Using these three attributes makes the SVG more accessible, SEO-friendly, and ensures that it renders correctly in all browsers.
3. SVG Sprites
An SVG sprite means you combine all your SVG icons into a single SVG file, and then call upon a specific icon from that file as needed. Each icon is given a unique ID.
First, you need to create an SVG sprite file, which defines multiple icons like this:
<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" style="display:none">
<symbol id="icon-search" viewBox="0 0 24 24">
<path d="M20.067 18.933l-4.157-4.157a6 6 0 10-.884.884l4.157"></path>
</symbol>
<symbol id="icon-user" viewBox="0 0 24 24">
<path d="M12 12a5 5 0 100-10 5 5 0 000 10z"></path>
</symbol>
</svg>
Now, whenever you need to display an icon, instead of writing the entire SVG code repeatedly, you can simply use the icon’s ID.
For example:
<svg width="24" height="24"><use href="#icon-search"></use></svg>
SEO-optimized SVG Sprites:
The biggest SEO advantage of this method is that the same SVG code is not loaded repeatedly, only a single sprite file is loaded for the entire site.
And, using a single SVG Sprite icon instead of multiple SVGs improves website performance, which in turn provides SEO benefits.
From an SEO perspective, SVG sprites are quite beneficial because:
- The SVG code resides within the HTML, which Google can easily read.
- Page load speed is improved, which is a ranking factor.
- You can easily change the color, size, and hover effects using CSS.
- You don’t need to use the xmlns attribute in every SVG icon.
For example:
.icon-search {
width: 20px;
height: 20px;
fill: #222222
}
.icon-user {
fill: #333333
}
However, a minor drawback is that setting it up might seem a bit complex for beginners, you need basic knowledge to create an SVG sprite.
But if your website uses multiple SVG icons, then SVG sprites are considered the most professional and SEO-friendly approach for you.
SVG Icons Accessibility Best Practices
Using SVG icons correctly is crucial not only for SEO but also for accessibility.
Because google considers websites that are usable for all users, especially screen reader users, to be more trustworthy.
In this article, you’ve seen that ARIA attributes have been mentioned in different places, but for better SEO and clarity, it’s important to understand them together.
First, the correct use of the aria-label attribute is essential.
When an SVG icon represents an action or meaning, such as search, menu, login, or download, it’s crucial to inform screen readers what the icon represents.
The second important point is the role attribute. In inline SVG, it’s necessary to define the role as an image so that screen readers treat it as an image.
If the role is not defined correctly, the SVG icon is often ignored or read incorrectly.
This can be detrimental to both accessibility and SEO.
Following these 3 practices makes the website more accessible, improves the user experience, and provides Google with strong Helpful Content and EEAT signals.
Passkeys also help in SEO, read this:
Common SVG SEO Mistakes to Avoid
SVG icons are very beneficial for SEO and performance, but if used incorrectly, these same SVG icons can harm your website.
Below are some of the most common mistakes that developers and bloggers often make unknowingly.
1. Lack of an aria label in inline SVGs
When an SVG icon represents an action, such as a search, menu, or close button, and it doesn’t have an aria label, screen readers cannot understand the icon’s meaning.
This degrades accessibility, and Google also doesn’t receive a clear signal about the icon’s purpose.
2. Using very large and unoptimized SVG paths
Many people directly export SVGs from design tools and upload them to their website.
Such SVG files contain unnecessary metadata, comments, and complex paths, which increases the SVG size unnecessarily.
This slows down page load speed, which is a negative signal for SEO.
3. Using SVGs for UI icons via the image tag
When using SVGs with the image tag, the browser treats it only as an image.
In this case, neither Google can read the SVG code, nor can you properly control the icon using CSS.
For UI icons such as buttons, menus, and social icons, this method is not considered good for both SEO and usability.
4. Not defining the width and height of SVG icons
When the SVG size is not specified, the browser takes extra time to calculate the layout. This can cause layout shifts, which negatively affect Core Web Vitals.
Google places great importance on page stability, so this mistake can impact rankings. Avoiding these mistakes makes your website faster, more accessible, and more SEO-friendly.
This is why the correct use of SVG icons is not just a matter of design, but also an important part of technical SEO.
Conclusion
There are several ways to use SVG icons on a website, but you need to figure out which method works best for your website to help with SEO.
I hope this article will be very helpful to you, as I have explained everything in this post in simple and clear language.
Let me explain it even more briefly.
- If you need fewer icons and prioritize simplicity, use inline SVGs,
- and use the
<img>tag when you need to display an SVG as an image, such as a logo. - For many icons use SVG sprites method, such as social media icons,
- that are used in several places on the website, like follow buttons and share buttons.
If you are a beginner blogger, you should definitely read these articles:
- 20+ Blogging Lessons: I Learned In 10+ Years (Proven Tips)
- How to Speed Up Your Website in 2026 (10 Optimization Tips)
So now that I’ve shown you how to optimize and use SVGs for SEO in 2026, you can start using SVG icons correctly and improve your SEO.
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