gabriellen6xf: Alt Attribute & Search engine optimization

SEO Optimization images is becoming increasingly more essential in SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for websites. The ALT attribute is a critical step that is sometimes forgotten. 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 site:

Images:. Make use of the alt attribute to supply descriptive text. Additionally, we recommend using 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 have the same problem as blind users. They cannot begin to 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 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 will not benefit from this plan.
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 web, the alt features of images are read aloud too.

Imagine listening to a paragraph of text which is followed by repetitions of numerous keywords. The page would be not even close to accessible, and, to put it mildly, will be found quite annoying.
What is an Alt attribute?

An ALT attribute should not be used like a description or a label to have an image, though lots of people utilize it in that fashion. Though 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 the same information or serve exactly the same purpose that the image would.

The goal would be 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 unavailable. Ask yourself this: If you were to replace the image with the text, would most users receive the same basic information, and would it generate the same response?
Some examples:

Some SEO Optimization Tips

If a 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 meant to convey the literal contents of the look, a description is appropriate.

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

If it is meant 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 and for valid XHTML.

For images that play merely a decorative role in the page, make use of an empty alt (i.e. alt="") or a CSS background image so that reading browsers don't bother users by uttering such things as "spacer image".

Remember that it is the function from the image we are trying to convey. For instance; 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 based on context. The same image inside a different context may need drastically different alt text.

Try to flow alt text with the remainder of the text because that's 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 utilizing an alt attribute for each image is required to satisfy the minimum WAI requirements, that are used since 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 useful 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 (in many cases) satisfy the marketing departments. There is no content value (though there might be value to a sighted user).

Never alt-ify eye-candy unless there is something there that will enhance the usability from 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 actually set the mood or set happens as it were. These graphics aren't direct content and may 't be considered essential, but they're important 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 with other users. Then avoid it.

For instance; Alt text that's just like 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 important to understand this content inside for those users.

Usually it depends on context. Exactly the same image inside a different context may require drastically different alt text. Obviously, content should always be fully available. How you use this case is really 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 may also be so as.
The reason many authors can't figure out why their alt text isn't working is they don't know why the pictures exist. You have to figured out precisely what function an image serves. Think about what it's concerning the image that's vital that you the page's intended audience.

Every graphic has a reason behind being on that page: since it either improves the theme/ mood/ atmosphere or it is critical to what are the page is attempting to explain. Understanding what the look is perfect for makes alt text simpler to write. And practice writing them definitely helps.
A method to check the usefulness of alternative text would be to imagine reading the page on the phone to someone. An amount you say when encountering a particular image to create the page understandable towards the listener?

Besides the alt attribute you've got a couple more tools at your disposal 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 are invisible and never shown as a "tooltip" when focus is received through the keyboard. (A lot for device independence). So make use of the title attribute just for advisory information.
Second, the longdesc attribute points towards the Link to a full description of the image. When the information found in an image is essential to the meaning 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 offer 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 by using any period of description necessary to impart the facts of the graphic.

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

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

Oftentimes, you are best just going with your gut instinct -- if it's not necessary to incorporate it, and when you don't possess a strong urge to do it, don't add that longdesc.

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

What's necessary and what's not depends a lot on 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 simply 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 maybe a long description would be in order. Oftentimes this kind of thing is really a judgement call.