Images look wrong or generic
Nine times out of ten the fix is a free Pexels key. Without one, images come from a small shared pool and then from Openverse fallbacks, and quality drops fast. With your own key, every article searches Pexels' full library on your own 15,000-request monthly quota. Setup takes about 2 minutes: see the Add a free Pexels key guide.
How image picking works
SEOBetter does not generate images from scratch on the free plan. It searches stock photo libraries with terms built from your keyword and each section heading, then places up to 3 images inside the article body. For list-style articles, images go on the numbered items ("3. Salmon" searches for salmon), because item headings name a concrete subject a photo search can match. Generic headings like "Introduction" are skipped for the same reason.
For articles generated in other languages (Pro), the plugin searches in English but writes the alt text in the article's language. A French search for "meilleures chaussures" returns worse photos than a search for "best shoes", so the lookup and the alt text are handled separately.
Hero image vs body images
- The featured (hero) image is set separately when you save the draft. Pro users can switch it to an AI-generated, brand-aware image under Settings > Branding.
- Body images always come from the stock photo chain. Real photos beat AI images inside article content, so this is by design.
The occasional off-topic image
Stock search matches keywords. It does not understand your topic. On niche or abstract subjects, a section heading sometimes matches a photo that misses the point. That is normal and quick to fix:
- Save the article as a draft and open it in the WordPress editor.
- Click the image block and choose Replace.
- Pick a better image from your media library, or upload your own.
Your own photos beat any stock image for trust and originality, so treat the swap as a chance to upgrade.
If images are missing entirely
Short articles may not get body images: the plugin needs at least a few sections before it starts placing them. Sections like Key Takeaways, FAQ, and References never get images on purpose.