Use of ALT Tags / ALT Attributes to Optimise Images and Search Engine Optimisation
ALT tags are placed inside your HTML code as a text description for a graphic or image that appears on a web page. When spider crawls are performed, these ALT tags will allow the spiders to ‘see’ the image as indexable content. Text will pop-up when the mouse hovers over the graphic or image on the page.
The idea of alternative text is to provide a textual replacement for pictures (images) - a replacement that conveys the same thing as is communicated to a sighted user seeing the image.
The SEO practitioner should use ALT text in the manner in which it was designed to be used by the W3C: to describe the image. Then, they can include the keyword phrase in one or two images on the page, if appropriate.
ALT Text / ALT tag Tips . . .
1. Remember that the purpose of ALT text is to describe the image for the benefit of those who surf the Web with images turned off and for those who have the contents of Web pages read out loud to them. The WC3 highly recommends that Web site owners use ALT text to describe images.
2. Use your keyword phrase in one or two instances of ALT text on the page - no more. Use moderation in everything you do in search engine optimisation.
3. Don’t use text that is non-relevant to the imageJerry West adds, “Give the visitor information that is worthwhile, especially for the visually impaired.”