A product image named IMG_8472.jpg tells Google nothing. The same image named womens-leather-tote-bag-brown.jpg tells Google exactly what is in the picture, what the product is, and who it is for. That difference compounds across a catalog of two hundred products.
Most sellers know file names matter for SEO. What they get wrong is the execution. They stuff the file name with every keyword they can think of — womens-leather-tote-bag-brown-handbag-shoulder-bag-genuine-leather.jpg. That file name is not helping anyone. It looks like spam to Google and looks unprofessional to anyone who sees the URL.
The rule that actually works: three to five words, most important first. Product type, one or two key attributes, maybe the color if it matters. No filler words like best, amazing, or high-quality. No repeating words. Lowercase, hyphens between words, no underscores, no spaces.
One more thing that catches people: the file name should match what is actually visible in the photo. If your main image shows only the front of the bag, do not put strap-detail in the file name. That goes on the detail shot. Mismatched file names and image content trigger Google Merchant Center disapprovals and confuse shoppers who see the filename in search results.
Bulk renaming is tedious by hand but trivial with even a basic script. Most ecommerce platforms also accept the original filename as the alt text default, which means getting the filename right saves you from writing two hundred alt tags. That alone is worth the ten minutes it takes to batch rename your folder.
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