How important is the image name for SEO ? (internationalized website)

Hi BHW!

As I mentioned in my previous post, I am building an internationalized website. For this purpose, I am using WPML. They have a plugin called "Media Translation" that takes care of the translation of the pictures.

I chose to duplicate the image for each language. Unfortunately the plugin copies the image and keeps the same file name for all different languages. However the other properties like ALT are translated.

My understanding is that it would be better, in terms of SEO, to have images with a file name in the corresponding language. But I read on WPML forum (well, they are not SEO masters) that having the same picture twice with a different name is like duplicate content, which is bad from SEO point of view.

Could you please tell me which solution would be the most effective:

a) 1 copy with English file name but ALT text in respective language

OR

b) 2 copies with different file name and ALT text in respective language

Image file name, to me, has no effect on the rankings of a site. Although some people believe unique and descriptive image file names are slightly beneficial in terms of SEO, I don't care much, if at all, about them.

Both solutions are good.
There are no such big differences between these two options

Don't obsess with seo really, using your keyword on the image name makes sense for readability or whatever regardless if it helps for seo or not, instead obsess about your content and marketing it.