[HELP!] File Name and ALT Tags

[bubblymaiko]

Thank you very much! Last question, which one is better to use on alt tags?

SPACE or HYPHEN? Cheap Lego for Kids or cheap-lego-for-kids?

Thanks again!

[isaac663]

Hi Mai.

You should be fine with the example you give.   So long as you don't just repeat 'lego for kids’ over and over on the page!  Just add your keywords into natural writing style that your users will find usefull and infomative.

Alt tags are useful for SEO. They 'tell' Google what the image is all about.  The images and the alt text should be relevant to what's on your page. So I hope your page is about lego products

Alt tags also makes your images more likely to rank in Google images for relevent keyword searches.  This is becoming more popular with people who like to scan through products visually.

Hope that helps.

Isaac.

[isaac663]

A space between each word

Think of the user. Some poeple don't have their images active when useing the web.  What would they want to see?

Isaac.

[bubblymaiko]

Thanks so much, Isaac! Sorry for the newbie question. For you, is it okay to use the same file name and alt tags in an image?

For example:

File name: cheap-lego-for-kids.jpg

Alt tag: Cheap Lego for Kids

Will I be penalized for this?

[isaac663]

No you won't be penalised for that.

But do check out my initial response below for a more detailed answer.

[CommT]

Hi,

I just wanted to dispel a few myths going on here...

1. ALT tags are NOT to 'Tell Google' what the image is about, they are there for people who use screen readers to enrich their use of the internet.
2. Screen readers can be set up to read out alt tags, file names or title attributes - depending on the user's preference and presumably on the site they are looking at
3. Google can and does read image file names: http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/32567/A-Marketer-s-Guide-to-Optimizing-Images-for-Google-Search.aspx

If you pick relevant images for your pages then you probably will be able to get keywords into both the alt tag and the file name. I don't think this is spammy! It's accurate.

What would be spammy, and this has already been covered by Issac, is if you repeat the same alt text on the same page - vary it! - 'Blue lego bricks' etc. I personally would avoid saying stuff like 'cheap', 'buy' etc UNLESS the image has that text within it (say a picture of lego with a headline within the image saying 'cheap lego') in which case you are doing exactly what the alt tag is there for - enabling screen reader users to experience as similar experience to us sighted folk as possible.

Sorry for the rant, but it annoys me that something that is meant to help people who are (to my mind) at a disadvantage is abused for SEO purposes!

Best wishes,

Amelia

**EDIT: I am well aware that Google and other search engines use alt tags for rankings. What I wanted the OP to be mindful of is that alt tags were not invented 'to tell google what an image is about'. And to point out their value and use for people using screen readers. Most people do not fully understand how blind users navigate the inter-webs, me included. I just think if I can do something to make it easier for them then I will. If you'd prefer to write alt tags purely for the search engines, that is entirely your prerogative! **

[Shawn_Huber]

Amen Amelia. I said the same, but not nearly as thorough as you did.

[isaac663]

Hey Amelia.

Yes you are absolutely correct, alt tags are for people, and should be used to that end. When I said it 'tells' Google what the images is about I was responding directly to Shawn's comment that ALT tags are for accessibility, not SEO...

Technically yes, but Google does use the alt text as a relevancy signal (at least as far as we know).  And ranks your image (in Google images) based primarily on that information.  It’s a part of SEO for better or worse.  Besides, you can both improve your on-page AND give relevant and meaningful info to the user, i've never had to choose.   If it came down to it I’d always prioritize the user.

[Leonie-Kramer]

Hi Amelia, you're right about that alt tags are for people who use screenreaders. Though search engines like google also use the alt tag  to recognize there is an image file.

The alt tag is an onpage factor that influence ranking  (http://moz.com/learn/seo/on-page-factors)

Although the alt tag may looks like as not important, it's worth using it.

About the spammy thing, using a word twice on a page has nothing to do with keywordstuffing

Grtz, Leonie

[CommT]

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[CommT]

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[CommT]

Using a word twice on a page is indeed, not keyword stuffing - where did I say that it was??? I don't believe I have EVER said that in all the years I've worked in digital marketing!

I said that using the same alt tag would be spammy - the reason I think that is that it either implies that you don't have unique images on the page (so what's the point of them?) or that you have been lazy with your alt tags by repeating the same one over again. Both bad user experiences for folk that need them.

[Shawn_Huber]

I know this is like beating a dead horse, but thought I would link to Search Metric's 2014 ranking factors study. What is missing in what they see as factors that increase rank is ALT tags on images.

You can see the infographic below, you can also download the 80+ page report which I would highly recommend

http://www.searchmetrics.com/wp-content/uploads/infographic-seo-ranking-factors-2014.jpg

~Cheers