Alt Attribute & Seo

SEO Optimization images has become increasingly more important in SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for websites. The ALT attribute is really a critical step that is often overlooked. This is often a lost opportunity for better rankings.

In Google's webmaster guidelines, they advise using alternative text for that images in your site:

Images:. Use the alt attribute to provide descriptive text. Additionally, we recommend utilizing a human-readable caption and descriptive text around the image.

Why would they ask us to do that? The answer is easy, really; search engines like google have the same problem as blind users. They cannot begin to see the images.

Many webmasters and inexperienced or unethical SEOs abuse the use of this attribute, attempting to stuff it with keywords, hoping to achieve a particular keyword density, which isn't as relevant for rankings now as it was previously.

On the contrary, high keyword density can, on some search engines, trigger spam filters, which might result in a penalty for your site's ranking. Even without such a penalty, your site's rankings will not take advantage of this plan.
This method also puts persons who use screen readers in a greater disadvantage. Screen readers are software-based tools that really read aloud the items in what's shown on the screen. In browsing the net, the alt features of images are read aloud too.

Imagine listening to a paragraph of text which is followed by repetitions of many keywords. The page would be not even close to accessible, and, to put it bluntly, will be found quite annoying.
What exactly is an Alt attribute?

An ALT attribute shouldn't be used like a description or perhaps a label for an image, though many people use it for the reason that fashion. Although it might seem natural to assume that alternate text is a label or perhaps a description, it's not!

What used within an image's alt attribute should be its text equivalent and convey exactly the same information or serve exactly the same purpose that the image would.

The thing would be to provide the same functional information that a visual user would see. The alt attribute text should be the "stand in" when the image is not available. Ask yourself this: Should you replace the image with the text, would most users receive the same basic information, and would it create the same response?
Some examples:

 

Some SEO Optimization Tips

If your search button is really a magnifier or binoculars its alt text ought to be 'search' or 'find' not 'magnifying glass' or 'binoculars'.

If an image is meant to convey the literal items in the image, then a description is appropriate.

If it is meant to convey data, then that information is what's appropriate.

If it is meant to convey using a function, then the function itself is what ought to be used.

Some Alt Attribute Guidelines:

Always add alt attributes to images. Alt is mandatory for accessibility as well as for valid XHTML.

For images that play merely a decorative role within the page, use an empty alt (i.e. alt="") or a CSS background image so that reading browsers don't bother users by uttering things like "spacer image".

Keep in mind that it is the function from the image we're attempting to convey. For example; any button images shouldn't include the word "button" in the alt text. They ought to emphasize the action performed through the button.

Alt text should be based on context. Exactly the same image in a different context may require drastically different alt text.

Try to flow alt text with the remainder of the text because that is how it will be read with adaptive technologies like screen readers. Someone listening to your page should hardly be aware that a graphic image is there.
Please remember that utilizing an alt attribute for every image is needed to satisfy the minimum WAI requirements, which are used as the benchmark for accessibility laws in UK and also the remainder of Europe. They are also required to meet "Section 508" accessibility requirements in america.

It is important to categorize non-text content into three levels:

Eye-Candy
Mood-Setting
Content and Function

I. Eye-Candy

Eye-Candy are stuff that serve no purpose apart from to create a site visually appealing/attractive and (oftentimes) satisfy the marketing departments. There is no content value (though there may be value to some sighted user).

Never alt-ify eye-candy unless there's something there that will boost the usability of the site for someone using a non-visual user agent. Make use of a null alt attribute or background images in CSS for eye-candy.

II. Mood-Setting

This is actually the middle layer of graphics which may serve to set the mood or set the stage so to speak. These graphics are not direct content and may 't be considered essential, but they're important in that they help frame what's going on.

Try to alt-ify the 2nd group as makes sense and it is relevant. There may be times when doing so may be annoying or detrimental to other users. Then try to avoid it.

For example; Alt text that is identical to adjacent text is unnecessary, as well as an irritant to screen reader users. I recommend alt="" or background CSS images in such cases. But sometimes, it's important to understand this content inside for those users.

Usually this will depend on context. The same image inside a different context may need drastically different alt text. Obviously, content should always be fully available. How you go in this case is a judgment call.

III. Content and Function

This is where the image may be the actual content. Always alt-ify content and functional images. Title and long description attributes may also be in order.
The main reason many authors can't understand why their alt text isn't working is that they don't know why the images are there. You need to determined exactly what function an image serves. Think about what it is concerning the image that's vital that you the page's intended audience.

Every graphic includes a reason behind being on that page: since it either enhances the theme/ mood/ atmosphere or it is critical to what the page is attempting to describe. Knowing what the image is for makes alt text easier to write. And practice writing them definitely helps.
A method to look into the usefulness of alternative text would be to imagine reading the page on the phone to someone. What would you say when encountering a particular image to make the page understandable to the listener?

Aside from the alt attribute you have a couple more tools at your disposal for images.
First, in level of descriptiveness title is within between alt and longdesc. It adds useful information and can add flavor. The title attribute is optionally rendered by the user agent. Remember they are invisible and never shown like a "tooltip" when focus is received through the keyboard. (So much for device independence). So make use of the title attribute just for advisory information.
Second, the longdesc attribute points to the Link to a full description of the image. If the information found in an image is essential to the concept of the page (i.e. some important content would be lost when the image was removed), a longer description compared to "alt" attribute can reasonably display ought to be used. It can offer rich, expressive documentation of a visual image.

It ought to be used when alt and title are insufficient to embody the visual qualities of the image. As Clark [1] states, "A longdesc is really a long description of an image...The goal is by using any period of description necessary to impart the facts from the graphic.

It would not be remiss to hope that the long description conjures an image - the look - within the mind's eye, an analogy that is true even for the totally blind."

Even though alt attribute is mandatory for web accessibility and for valid (X)HTML, not all images need alternative text, long descriptions, or titles.

In many cases, you are better off just choosing your gut instinct -- if it's not essential to incorporate it, and when you don't possess a strong urge to do it, don't add that longdesc.

However, if it's essential for the whole page to operate, then you've to add the alt text (or title or longdesc).

What's necessary and what's not depends a great deal about the function of the image and its context on the page.

The same image may need alt text (or title or longdesc) in a single spot, although not in another. If the image provides absolutely no content or functional information alt="" or background CSS images might be appropriate to make use of. However, if the image provides content or adds functional information an alt will be required and maybe a long description would be in order. Oftentimes this kind of thing is a judgement call.

Image Seo optimization Tips

Listed below are key steps in optimizing images:

Choose a logical file name that reinforces the keywords. You can use hyphens within the file name to isolate the keyword, but avoid to exceeding two hyphens. Avoid using underscores as a word separator, like for example "brilliant-diamonds.jpg";

Label the file extension. For instance, if the image internet search engine sees a ".jpg" (JPEG) file extension, it's going to assume that the file is a photo, and when it sees a ".gif" (GIF) file extension, it's going to assume that it is graphic;

Ensure that the written text at the image that's relevant to that image.
Again, do not lose an excellent opportunity to help your website together with your images searching engines. Use these steps to position better on all of the engines and drive increased traffic to your site TODAY.