About Me 0113: Alt Attribute & Seo

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

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

Images:. Use the alt attribute to supply 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 have a similar problem as blind users. They cannot 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 is not as relevant for rankings now since it was previously.

On the contrary, high keyword density can, on some search engines like google, trigger spam filters, which may create a penalty for your site's ranking. Even without this type of penalty, your site's rankings won't benefit from this tactic.
This process also puts persons who use screen readers at a greater disadvantage. Screen readers are software-based tools that really read aloud the items in what is shown on the screen. In browsing the net, the alt attributes of images are read aloud too.

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

An ALT attribute shouldn't be used as a description or perhaps a label to have an image, though many people use 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 inside 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 supply the same functional information that the visual user would see. The alt attribute text should function as a "stand in" when the look itself is not available. Ask yourself this: If you were to replace the look with the text, would most users receive the same basic information, and wouldn't it generate the same response?
Some examples:

Some SEO Optimization Tips

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

If an image is supposed to convey the literal contents of the look, then a description is suitable.

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

If it is meant 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 in the page, use an empty alt (i.e. alt="") or a CSS background image to ensure that reading browsers don't bother users by uttering things like "spacer image".

Keep in mind that it's the function of the image we are trying to convey. For instance; any button images shouldn't include the word "button" within the alt text. They ought to emphasize the action performed through the button.

Alt text should 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 of the text because that is the way it will 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 using an alt attribute for each image is needed to meet the minimum WAI requirements, which are used as 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 useful 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 create a site visually appealing/attractive and (in many cases) fulfill the marketing departments. There isn't any content value (though there might be value to some sighted user).

Never alt-ify eye-candy unless there's something there that will enhance 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 actually the middle layer of graphics which might serve to set the atmosphere or set happens so to speak. These graphics are not direct content and could 't be considered essential, but they're important in that they help frame what is 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 instance; Alt text that's 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 get this content inside for all users.

Most times it depends on context. Exactly the same image in a different context may require drastically different alt text. Obviously, content should always be fully available. The way you use this example is really a judgment call.

III. Content and Function

This is when 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 reason many authors can't figure out why their alt text isn't working is they don't know why the images exist. You need to figured out exactly what function an image serves. Think about what it's concerning the image that's important to the page's intended audience.

Every graphic has a reason behind standing on that page: because it either enhances the theme/ mood/ atmosphere or it is advisable to what are the page is trying to explain. Understanding what the image is for makes alt text simpler to write. And practice writing them definitely helps.
A method to check the usefulness of alternative text is to imagine reading the page on the phone to someone. An amount you say when encountering a particular image to create the page understandable to the listener?

Besides the alt attribute you've got 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 may add flavor. The title attribute is optionally rendered through the user agent. Remember they are invisible and not shown like a "tooltip" when focus is received through the keyboard. (A lot for device independence). So use the title attribute only for advisory information.
Second, the longdesc attribute points towards the Link to a complete description of the image. When the information contained in a picture is important to the meaning of the page (i.e. some important content will be lost when the image was removed), an extended description than the "alt" attribute can reasonably display ought to be used. It can offer rich, expressive documentation of the visual image.

It should 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 length of description necessary to impart the details from the graphic.

It wouldn't be remiss to hope that the long description conjures a picture - the image - within the mind's eye, an analogy that holds true even for the totally blind."

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

In many cases, you're best just going with your gut instinct -- if it's not essential to include it, and if you don't have a strong urge to do it, don't include that longdesc.

However, if it's necessary 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 lot about the function of your image and it is context about the page.

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