How to Use Canva to Create Blog Thumbnails That Boost Clicks and SEO
Your blog thumbnail is often the first thing your audience sees—and it can make or break whether they actually click into your post. Thankfully, Canva makes it easy to design custom blog thumbnails that are both beautiful and effective.
In this guide, you'll learn how to use Canva to create click-worthy blog thumbnails that align with your brand, support your SEO strategy, and load fast on your site. Let’s dive in.
Step 1: Understand Aspect Ratios and Image Sizes
When designing blog thumbnails in Canva, the first step is choosing the right aspect ratio.
Here are the most common ratios used:
1:1 — Square (Instagram, profile icons)
4:3 — Ideal for blog thumbnails (e.g., 1200x900 px or 800x600 px)
3:2 — Also works well for blog graphics; flips to 2:3 for Pinterest pins
16:9 — Horizontal format for video covers or wide blog layouts
✅ Olivia from Bold August Design Studio recommends the 4:3 ratio for blog thumbnails because it offers a nice visual balance and flexibility across website layouts.
Step 2: Create or Customize Blog Thumbnail Templates
If you're using Canva Pro, you have access to thousands of templates. But Olivia has also created custom blog thumbnail templates in a 4:3 ratio to save time and keep your visuals consistent.
Tips for designing your template:
Keep text bold and legible (especially on mobile)
Use black overlays with reduced transparency behind light-colored text
Make your blog title optional—Google can’t read images, so always include your title in the post itself
Use consistent visual elements: colors, logos, shapes, or photo styles
Step 3: Match Your Brand Style
Before designing, ask yourself:
What’s my brand aesthetic? (Cottagecore? Minimalist? Bright + bold?)
Do I have a visual theme across my other graphics?
Are there certain colors, icons, or images that define my look?
Olivia suggests:
Investing in custom brand photography or styled stock photos
Exploring options like Color Joy Stock or Creative Market for more curated visuals
Using Unsplash or Pexels for free, on-brand filler imagery
Step 4: Make It Accessible and Easy to Read
Pretty thumbnails are great, but if your audience can’t read the text, it’s not doing its job.
Make your thumbnails accessible:
Avoid tiny text (especially script fonts)
Ensure high contrast between background and text
Bump up font size for readability
Use overlays if needed to increase visibility
You want your blog post titles and categories to be easy to scan—even for someone quickly scrolling.
Step 5: Export the Right File Type for Faster Load Times
Olivia recommends saving your blog thumbnails as JPEGs whenever possible. Here’s why:
Smaller file sizes = faster load times
Faster load times = better SEO
Use PNGs only when transparency is necessary. Otherwise, JPEGs will help your site stay speedy and user-friendly.
Bonus Tips: How to Keep Blog Thumbnails Organized
If creating thumbnails feels overwhelming, simplify your process:
Batch create your blog graphics once per quarter
Choose a few reusable templates
Organize your designs in Canva folders by category (e.g., Canva Tips, Business Advice, Personal Posts)
Include small brand elements like your icon logo to maintain visual consistency
Recap: Canva Blog Thumbnail Design Tips
Stick to a 4:3 or 3:2 ratio for flexibility
Use large, legible text with proper contrast
Customize your templates with your brand colors and style
Export as JPEG for speed
Keep your blog titles visible on the page (not just the image!)
Your blog thumbnail might be small—but it has big impact. Use Canva to make it work harder for your brand, your audience, and your SEO.
Want free Canva templates to get started?
Follow Bold August Design Studio and download our blog thumbnail starter pack to make designing easier than ever!
