Kiss and tell: 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 often overlooked. This can be a lost chance of better rankings.

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

Images:. Make use of 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 a similar problem as blind users. They cannot see the images.

Many webmasters and inexperienced or unethical SEOs abuse using 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 like google, trigger spam filters, which may create a penalty for the site's ranking. Even without this type of penalty, your site's rankings won't benefit from this plan.
This method also puts persons who use screen readers in a greater disadvantage. Screen readers are software-based tools that actually read aloud the items in what is shown on the screen. In browsing the net, the alt attributes of images are read aloud as well.

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

An ALT attribute should not be used as a description or a label to have an image, though lots of people use it for the reason that fashion. Though it may appear natural to assume that alternate text is really a label or perhaps a description, it is not!

What used inside 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 be the "stand in" when the look itself is unavailable. Think about this question: Should you replace the image with the text, would most users receive the same basic information, and wouldn't it generate 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 meant to convey the literal items in the look, a description is appropriate.

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

If it's 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 only a decorative role within the page, use an empty alt (i.e. alt="") or perhaps a CSS background image to ensure that reading browsers do not bother users by uttering such things as "spacer image".

Remember that it's the function from the image we are trying to convey. For example; any button images should not range from the word "button" in the alt text. They should emphasize the action performed through the button.

Alt text ought to be determined by context. The same image in a different context may require drastically different alt text.

Attempt to flow alt text with the rest from the text because that's how it is going to be read with adaptive technologies like screen readers. Someone hearing your page should hardly remember that a graphic image is there.
Please keep in mind that utilizing an alt attribute for each image is required to meet 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 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 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 is something there which will boost the usability of the site for somebody utilizing 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 mood or set the stage as it were. These graphics are not direct content and may not be considered essential, but they're important in they help frame what is going on.

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

For instance; Alt text that is identical to 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 inside for those users.

Most times this will depend on context. The same image in a different context may require 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 look is the actual content. Always alt-ify content and functional images. Title and long description attributes can also be so as.
The reason many authors can't understand why their alt text isn't working is they don't know why the pictures exist. You need to figured out exactly what function a picture serves. Think about what it is concerning the image that's vital that you the page's intended audience.

Every graphic includes a reason for being on that page: since it either improves the theme/ mood/ atmosphere or it is critical to what the page is attempting to explain. Understanding what the image is for makes alt text simpler to write. And exercise writing them definitely helps.
A method to look into the usefulness of alternative text is to imagine reading the page on the phone to someone. An amount you say when encountering a specific image to make the page understandable towards the listener?

Besides 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 may add flavor. The title attribute is optionally rendered by 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 to the Link to a complete description of an image. If the information contained in a picture is important towards the concept of the page (i.e. some important content will be lost when the image was removed), a longer description than the "alt" attribute can reasonably display ought to be used. It may provide for rich, expressive documentation of a 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 a long description of the image...The aim is by using any period of description essential to impart the details from the graphic.

It would not 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 better off just going with your gut instinct -- if it's not necessary to incorporate it, and when 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.

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 might be appropriate to make use of. However, if the image provides content or adds functional information an alt will be required and perhaps a long description will be so as. Oftentimes this kind of thing is a judgement call.