Friday, April 22, 2011

Alt Attribute & SEO Optimization

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 can be a lost chance of better rankings.


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

Images:. Use the alt attribute to supply descriptive text. In addition, we recommend utilizing a human-readable caption and descriptive text round 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 can't see the images.

Many webmasters and inexperienced or unethical SEOs abuse using this attribute, attempting to stuff it with keywords, hoping to achieve a certain 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 result in a penalty for the 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 actually read aloud the contents of what is displayed on the screen. In browsing the net, the alt features of images are read aloud as well.

Imagine listening to a paragraph of text that is then repetitions of many keywords. The page would be not even close to accessible, and, to put it mildly, will 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 lots of people utilize it in that fashion. Although it might seem natural to assume that alternate text is a label or perhaps a description, it is not!

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

The goal would be to supply the same functional information that a visual user would see. The alt attribute text should function as a "stand in" when the image itself is unavailable. Ask yourself this question: If you were to replace the image using 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 a magnifier or binoculars its alt text should be 'search' or 'find' not 'magnifying glass' or 'binoculars'.

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

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

If it is designed to convey the use of a function, then your 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 only a decorative role in the page, use an empty alt (i.e. alt="") or perhaps a CSS background image so that reading browsers do not bother users by uttering things like "spacer image".

Keep in mind that it's the function of the image we're trying to convey. For example; any button images should not include the word "button" in the alt text. They should emphasize the action performed by the button.

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

Attempt to flow alt text with the rest from the text because that is the way it is going to be read with adaptive technologies like screen readers. Someone hearing your page should hardly be aware that a graphic image can there be.
Please keep in mind that using an alt attribute for each image is required to satisfy the minimum WAI requirements, that are used as the benchmark for accessibility laws in UK and also the rest of Europe. They are also necessary 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 apart from to make a site visually appealing/attractive and (in many cases) fulfill the marketing departments. There is no content value (though there may be value to a sighted user).

Never alt-ify eye-candy unless there is something there which will boost the usability from 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 the middle layer of graphics which may actually set the atmosphere or set the stage so to speak. These graphics are not direct content and could 't be considered essential, but they are essential in that they help frame what is going on.

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

For instance; Alt text that's just like adjacent text is unnecessary, and 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 in there for all users.

Most times this will depend on context. Exactly the same image inside a different context may require drastically different alt text. Obviously, content ought to always be fully available. How you use this example is a judgment call.

III. Content and Function

This is where the image is 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 they don't know why the images exist. You need to figured out exactly what function an image serves. Consider what it's about the image that's vital that you 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 critical to what are the page is attempting to explain. Knowing what the look 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 specific image to make the page understandable towards the listener?

Aside from the alt attribute you have a couple more tools available for images.
First, in degree of descriptiveness title is within between alt and longdesc. It adds useful information and may 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 through 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 full description of an image. If the information contained in a picture is important to the concept of the page (i.e. some important content would be lost if the image was removed), a longer description than the "alt" attribute can reasonably display should 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 the image...The goal is by using any period of description essential to impart the facts from the graphic.

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

Although the 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're best just going with your gut instinct -- if it's not essential to include it, and when you don't possess a strong urge to get it done, don't add that longdesc.

However, if it's necessary for the entire page to work, then you have to add the alt text (or title or longdesc).

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

Exactly the same image may require alt text (or title or longdesc) in a single spot, but 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. But if the image provides content or adds functional information an alt would be required and perhaps a long description will be so as. Oftentimes this type of thing is a judgement call.

Image Search Engine 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. Stay away from underscores like a word separator, such as "brilliant-diamonds.jpg";

Label the file extension. For instance, when the image 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;

Make sure that the written text nearby the image that's relevant to that image.
Again, don't lose an excellent chance to help your site together with your images in search engines. Begin using these steps to rank better on all of the engines and drive more traffic for your site TODAY.

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