Image Alt text attribute - Video Tips from Matt Cutts
By John Alexander
Update December 6, 2007:
In our past SEO Tips of the Day, we
have tried to encourage readers not to over do keyword rich
text in the Alt Text Attribute. We have always taught students
that each and every tag, element or attribute should be used
in the exact manner for which it was designed for.
The purpose of image Alt text is to accurately describe the
image. Can you use keyword rich text to describe the image?
Absolutely. But this does not mean keyword stuffing the
image alt text attribute with multiple keywords. Instead you
want to accurately describe the image with a keyword rich
phrase.
Recently Matt Cutts published a
short video discussing the proper way to use the image alt
text attribute.
Please turn up your sound and watch the video
of Google engineer, Matt Cutts below:
Continuing with that strategy is still
viable. The major engines don’t consider the contents of
ALT
text now, but that doesn’t mean they won’t six months from
now. Always remembering the “basics” is one of the best
strategies to follow.
A
few other
ALT
Text Tips . . .
The
purpose of
image ALT
text is always to describe the image for the benefit of
anyone who uses the Web with images turned off and/or for
those who are using readers to read the contents of a Web
page out loud.
Use
your descriptive keyword rich text in
ALT
text on the page – but use moderation.
Don’t
use text that is not relevant to the image.
Never
keyword stuff.
Be sure to visit Matt
Cutts Blog from time to time for more new video tips which
he will be adding.
