Searchable Web Content - Part TwoHow To Make Search Engines "See" Images (Non-Text Content)
As we've previously discussed,
the most effective search engine friendly content is text. This is because images, video and audio are not easily scanned by search bots. The bots are beginning to include image recognition and video scanning capabilities but this technology is still awhile from being as effective as text in search.
If you plan to use image-heavy or video content, there are ways you can add to your site's search-effectiveness. First and foremost is to add relevant text-based content directly on the page in conjunction with the non-text content (i.e. a text description of the video). This may seem old school, but it works.
When using images, make sure the filename contains a good description of the image. Example: Tall-Oak-Tree.jpg contains a much better description of the image than IMG00342.jpg. Search engines love this sort of thing.
Best Practice
Filename: LoudClickHomepage.jpg
Image of LoudClick.net Homepage
| Not-so-best-practice
Filename: screenshot.jpg
|
It's also important to use ToolTips, Title Attribute and Alternative Text in conjunction with your non-text content.
ToolTipsToolTips provide a small, boxed text description when you roll over an image or link. When given the option to complete a tooltip field - take it.
Title AttributeTitle Attribute is what is behind a ToolTip displaying when you roll over a link. HTML standards dictate that using Title Attribute is the only acceptable way to do this. However, not everyone in the browser world agrees - including industry leader Internet Explorer.
Alternative TextThis leads us to Alternative Text - also known as Alt Text. Alt Text is the text description that displays when an image does not display. The main reason you should know about Alt Text is that Internet Explorer displays Alt Text when a user rolls over an image and no Title Attribute is present.
It has been reported that search bots scan Title Attributes and Alt Text to increase their understanding of a webpage's content. This makes it vitally import to utilize them to help increase your search bot friendliness.
Add the same text description of the image or link to Title Attribute and Alt Text whenever possible. This increases your effectiveness whatever browser your visitor uses to view your website. It also adds these descriptions for the image/link for search bots to spider. Concentrate most on Alt Text if you are forced to choose only one.
Keep in mind that the text used in the Title Attribute/Alt Text must be consistent with the image or link they describe. Trying to trick the system by adding text that does not appropriately describe the content will back-fire and result in lower search engine results (this practice makes you look like a spammer). Besides, it will make you look like a fool and trickster to the end-user - your customer. Who wants to be known as untrustworthy?
Review the example images above for Best and Not-so-best practices. View the properties to see that the Best Practice image on the left includes all the items discussed in this post:
- Descriptive filename
- Text on the page describing the image
- Alt Text: "Image of Loudclick.net Homepage"
- Title Attribute: "Image of Loudclick.net Homepage"
The not-so-best- practice does not.
How to make search engines "see" images and non-text content: What you need to know.Text-based content is the most successful way to find search engine success. Make sure to add relevant text-based content directly on the page with any Flash, Image, Video or Audio. Be sure to add the same text description to available Title Attribute/Alt Text. And describe the image or link appropriately.
Other posts in the Searchable Web Content Series:
Part One: Successful Content-
Paul
