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 chance of better rankings.

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

Images:. Make use of the alt attribute to provide descriptive text. Additionally, we recommend using a human-readable caption and descriptive text around the image.

Why would they ask us to achieve that? The answer is easy, really; search engines 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 certain 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 create a penalty for your site's ranking. Even without such a penalty, your site's rankings will not benefit from this tactic.
This process also puts persons who use screen readers in a greater disadvantage. Screen readers are software-based tools that actually read aloud the contents of what's shown on the screen. In browsing the net, the alt features of images are read aloud too.

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

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

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

The goal is to provide the same functional information that the visual user would see. The alt attribute text should be the "stand in" in the event that the image itself is unavailable. Ask yourself this: If you were to replace the image with the text, would most users receive the same basic information, and wouldn't it create the same response?
Some examples:

 

Some SEO Optimization Tips

If your search button is a magnifying glass or binoculars its alt text should be 'search' or 'find' not 'magnifying glass' or 'binoculars'.

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

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

If it is meant to convey using a function, then the function 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, make use of an empty alt (i.e. alt="") or perhaps a CSS background image to ensure that reading browsers do not bother users by uttering things like "spacer image".

Remember that it is the function from the image we are attempting to convey. For instance; any button images should not include the word "button" within the alt text. They should emphasize the action performed through the button.

Alt text ought to be based on context. The same image inside a different context may require drastically different alt text.

Try to flow alt text with the remainder from the text because that is how it is going to be read with adaptive technologies like screen readers. Someone listening to your page should hardly be aware that a graphic image is there.
Please keep in mind that using an alt attribute for every image is required to satisfy the minimum WAI requirements, that are used since the benchmark for accessibility laws in UK and the remainder of Europe. Also, they are necessary to meet "Section 508" accessibility requirements in the US.

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 apart from to make a site visually appealing/attractive and (in many cases) satisfy the marketing departments. There isn't any content value (though there may be value to some sighted user).

Never alt-ify eye-candy unless there is something there that will boost the usability of the site for somebody using 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 as it were. These graphics aren't direct content and could 't be considered essential, but they're essential in that they help frame what's going on.

Try to alt-ify the second group as is sensible and is relevant. There may be instances when doing this may be annoying or detrimental with other users. Then avoid it.

For example; Alt text that's just like adjacent text is unnecessary, as well as an irritant to screen reader users. I suggest alt="" or background CSS images in such instances. But sometimes, it's vital that you get this content inside for those users.

Most times 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. The way you go in this example is a judgment call.

III. Content and Function

This is when the look is the actual content. Always alt-ify content and functional images. Title and long description attributes can also be in order.
The reason many authors can't figure out why their alt text isn't working is they don't know why the images are there. You have to determined precisely what function an image serves. Think about what it's about the image that's important to the page's intended audience.

Every graphic has a reason behind being on that page: because it either enhances the theme/ mood/ atmosphere or it is advisable to what are the page is attempting to explain. Knowing what the look is for makes alt text easier to write. And exercise writing them definitely helps.
A method to check the usefulness of alternative text is to imagine reading the page on the phone to someone. What would you say when encountering a specific 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 level of descriptiveness title is in between alt and longdesc. It adds useful information and can add flavor. The title attribute is optionally rendered by the user agent. Remember they're invisible and never shown as a "tooltip" when focus is received via the keyboard. (So much for device independence). So use the title attribute just for advisory information.
Second, the longdesc attribute points to the URL of a full description of the image. If the information found in a picture is essential towards the concept of the page (i.e. some important content would be lost if the image was removed), an extended description compared to "alt" attribute can reasonably display ought to be used. It may 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 an image. As Clark [1] states, "A longdesc is really a long description of an image...The goal is by using any period of description essential to impart the facts from the graphic.

It wouldn't be remiss to hope that the long description conjures an image - the image - 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.

Oftentimes, you are best just going with your gut instinct -- if it's not essential to incorporate it, and if you don't have a strong urge to get it done, don't include that longdesc.

However, if it's essential for the whole page to operate, then you have to add 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 it is context on the page.

Exactly the same image may need alt text (or title or longdesc) in one spot, although not in another. If an 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 would be required and maybe even a long description will be so as. Oftentimes this type of thing is a judgement call.

Image Seo optimization Tips

Listed below are key steps in optimizing images:

Select a logical file name that reinforces the keywords. You can use hyphens in the file name to isolate the keyword, but avoid to exceeding two hyphens. Stay away from underscores like a word separator, like for example "brilliant-diamonds.jpg";

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

Ensure that the written text nearby the image that's relevant to that image.
Again, do not lose an excellent chance 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.