The ALT tag coveys to the reader what he or she is missing on a page if the browser can't open images. The browser will then display the alternate text instead of the image. It is a good habit to include the ALT tag for each image on a page, to improve the view and also usefulness of your document for people who have text-only browsers.
Different browsers display ALT tags in different manner. This table will guide us on the same.
Browser |
ALT Tags |
Explorer 5.x and up |
Displays ALT tags for images if image doesn't load. |
Netscape 4.x |
Displays ALT tags for images on mouse over. |
Netscape 6.x and up |
ALT only displays if the image fails to load or images are turned off. |
Opera |
Displays ALT text if images turned off or not loaded. |
What does ALT Tags mean for SEO?
ALT tags play an important role for SEO specialists. They can tremendously increase web page ranking if they are used appropriately. Though the overall impact of using ALT tags, in terms of search engine optimization, is not very high since they have become abused by webmasters who fill ALT tags with loads of keywords. All the major search engines have lowered the importance of ALT tags in their algorithms. However we should not forget that though ALT tags are just one component of SEO strategy but they have the power to effectively reinforce other efforts of optimization to make your SEO yield great results. And last but not the least ALT tags are an essential element for standards-based HTML coding. We all know that not only every image must have an ALT tag, but each ALT tag must be properly implemented.
Some tips on using ALT tags for optimization process
- Firstly, just like any SEO technique it is very important to maintain balance and use ALT tag optimization with a certain degree of moderation. Avoid stuffing your image descriptions with many keywords. This might lead to an adverse on the user’s experience of your visitors. Always try to be clear and lucid while using these tags.
- Secondly, try and use keywords that are pertinent to the image in order to be more relevant.
One can create useful page content that will appeal both to human visitors and search engines; all you need is to get the most out of every page element. ALT tags undoubtedly can increase your site's usability level and promotion possibilities only if you clearly understand where to place them, when to use them, and why.
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