Alt Attribute & Seo

SEO Optimization images is becoming increasingly more essential in SEO (Seo optimization) for websites. The ALT attribute is a critical step that is often overlooked. This is often a lost chance of better rankings.

In Google's webmaster guidelines, they advise the use of alternative text for that images on your web site:

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

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

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

On the contrary, high keyword density can, on some search engines, trigger spam filters, which may result in a penalty for your site's ranking. Even without such a penalty, your site's rankings won't take advantage of this plan.
This process 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 is displayed on the screen. In browsing the net, the alt features of images are read aloud as well.

Imagine hearing a paragraph of text that is then repetitions of many keywords. The page would be far from accessible, and, to put it mildly, would be found quite annoying.
What exactly is an Alt attribute?

An ALT attribute should not be used as a description or perhaps a label for an image, though many people utilize it in that fashion. Although it might seem natural to assume that alternate text is a label or a description, it is not!

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

The thing is to provide the same functional information that the visual user would see. The alt attribute text should function as a "stand in" in the event that the look is not available. Think about this question: Should you replace the look with the text, would most users get the same basic information, and wouldn't it create the same response?
A few examples:

 

Some SEO Optimization Tips

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

If the image is supposed to convey the literal items in the image, then a description is suitable.

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

If it's designed to convey the use of a function, then your function is what should 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 perhaps a CSS background image so that reading browsers don't bother users by uttering such things as "spacer image".

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

Alt text should be based on context. The same image inside a different context may need drastically different alt text.

Attempt to flow alt text with the remainder from the text because that's how it is going to be read with adaptive technologies like screen readers. Someone listening to your page should hardly remember that a graphic image can there be.
Please keep in mind that utilizing an alt attribute for every image is needed to satisfy the minimum WAI requirements, which are used since the benchmark for accessibility laws in UK and 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 things that serve no purpose other than to make a site visually appealing/attractive and (oftentimes) fulfill the marketing departments. There isn't any content value (though there might be value to a sighted user).

Never alt-ify eye-candy unless there is something there which will boost the usability of the site for someone utilizing a non-visual user agent. Use a null alt attribute or background images in CSS for eye-candy.

II. Mood-Setting

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

Attempt to alt-ify the 2nd group as is sensible and it is relevant. There might be times when doing so might be annoying or detrimental to other users. Then avoid it.

For instance; 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 instances. But sometimes, it's vital that you understand this content in there for those users.

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

III. Content and Function

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

Every graphic includes a reason behind standing on that page: because it either enhances the theme/ mood/ atmosphere or it is advisable to what the page is trying to describe. Knowing what the image is for makes alt text simpler to write. And practice writing them definitely helps.
A way to look into the usefulness of alternative text is to imagine reading the page over the telephone to someone. What would you say when encountering a particular image to create the page understandable towards the listener?

Aside from the alt attribute you've got a couple more tools available for images.
First, in degree 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 via the keyboard. (A lot for device independence). So use the title attribute just for advisory information.
Second, the longdesc attribute points towards the Link to a complete description of an image. If the information contained in an image is important towards the concept of the page (i.e. some important content will be lost when the image was removed), an extended description compared to "alt" attribute can reasonably display ought to be used. It can provide for rich, expressive documentation of the visual image.

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

It wouldn't be remiss to hope that a 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 as well as 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 necessary to include it, and if you don't have a strong urge to do it, don't add that longdesc.

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

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

Exactly the same image may need alt text (or title or longdesc) in one spot, but not in another. If an image provides simply no content or functional information alt="" or background CSS images may be appropriate to use. But if the image provides content or adds functional information an alt would be required and perhaps even a long description will be so as. In many cases this type of thing is really a judgement call.

Image Seo optimization Tips

Listed here are key steps in optimizing images:

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

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

Ensure that the text nearby the image that is relevant to that image.
Again, don't lose a great opportunity to help your site with your images searching engines. Begin using these steps to rank better on all the engines and drive more traffic to your site TODAY.