ALT tags secret to onpage SEO?

Proxy Cake · Jun 3, 2010

I've heard from a lot of sources that putting your keywords in the alt tags of images on your site increases seo.

Do you agree? What are the best practices for doing this?

ipopbb · Jun 3, 2010

Up the number of keyword matches any way you can...

Look at pinkribbonshop.com for search Pink Ribbon
Look at seo.com for search SEO
Look at addictinggames.com for search Games

Put keywords in comments, urls, domains, css file names, js file names, html and php document names, CSS class names, tag ids, tag title attributes, ...

Go nutzo ape shit with keyword matches that are only visible in the source. Then go for as many legitimate actual content usages as you can without scaring your visitors. I would put alt text in with the legitimate content usages... but spliff the heck out of your source.

Proxy Cake · Jun 3, 2010

Dam I never knew that, hasn't google caught on?

ipopbb · Jun 3, 2010

facebookdude said:
Dam I never knew that, hasn't google caught on?

Heck... it's Google's latest requirement if you want to rank at all these days. In my opinion...

Even the big boys are spliffing.

Here are some from target.com... I was very impressed with Target's use of image maps to spliff keywords... Imagine all the individual white pixels you could be tagging!

Code:

HMACTokens.CustomClothing = '2FC48E8AA86F0756992991DE8C724CA6BC0E4723';
HMACTokens.babySpotlight  = 'E34F3A7FF130B560EF1D3D23350910967BD1E55B';
HMACTokens.kidsSpotlight  = 'B12C6260998FFDD21F02756EDD3BC07A122F2B93';
HMACTokens.PhotoCenter    = '2A3D685AD806BEE0C5A800314AB596F75ABCE92C';
HMACTokens.racing         = '675F7F3E3E70B6BB06923B9E4BE752464E560722';
HMACTokens.cinemared      = '0A32803679B089AA83364542A9FC638B5CD1EFCB';
HMACTokens.studiored      = '0E55F392E4D5D905729032EB2E3E41F95A6C5CC3';
HMACTokens.readysitread   = '37636B3FCB888138BE50F82C38D69C5D04EF96A3';
HMACTokens.getintothegame = 'A3519DEC37CCCB341F360FDFA09502354172F1FC';
HMACTokens.up2d8          = '45E82490A52AF613C6854ADA1280D5BD8160FF83';
HMACTokens.redhotshop     = 'F9C8E550EBA5A278E4447DD9710F8C2203E679A7';
HMACTokens.recipes        = '3D084D80DE790E993E7BB486AF27565D93FF478D';
HMACTokens.pharmacy       = '42BADCCAE8E12A717C29D8864E11BF9BBAA9A773';
HMACTokens.holidaytv      = '5FDBE1E6D0B197DC59BECDD4118137AEA3C881C1';
HMACTokens.holidaycatalog = 'F4B2B47B4A498C5AA77F62BE49DD3F2DCF148CAF';
HMACTokens.giftcard       = '05EF3542EF8A1F2B686E4E518B5C2E8C58AD1E93';
HMACTokens.bookmarked     = '78E08F7C4CD692F95B38ACA2C22CB632B378104A';
HMACTokens.CustomClothing = '2FC48E8AA86F0756992991DE8C724CA6BC0E4723';
HMACTokens.grocery        = 'C62B739F99833CB0E2591BF98556A3B4E7EE4E5B';
<option value="index=target&field-browse=1041790&search-alias=tgt-women"  >Women</option>
      <option value="index=target&field-browse=1041828&search-alias=tgt-men"  >Men</option>
      <option value="index=target&field-browse=1038590&search-alias=tgt-baby"  >Baby</option>
      <option value="index=target&field-browse=1041972&search-alias=tgt-kids"  >Kids</option>
      <option value="index=target&field-browse=3151061&search-alias=tgt-home"  >Home</option>
      <option value="index=target&field-browse=1041482&search-alias=tgt-bedandbath"  >Bed + Bath</option>
      <option value="index=target&field-browse=1038614&search-alias=tgt-furniture"  >Furniture</option>
      <option value="index=target&field-browse=1038604&search-alias=tgt-sports"  >Sports</option>
      <option value="index=target&field-browse=1038620&search-alias=tgt-toys"  >Toys</option>
      <option value="index=target&field-browse=1038598&search-alias=tgt-electronics"  >Electronics</option>
      <option value="index=target&field-browse=165763011&search-alias=tgt-health"  >Health</option>
      <option value="index=target&field-browse=1259489011&search-alias=tgt-music"  >Music</option>
      <option value="index=target&field-browse=1259488011&search-alias=tgt-movies"  >Movies</option>
      <option value="index=target&field-browse=1259490011&search-alias=tgt-books"  >Books</option>
<li id="gn_main_2"  ><a href="/b/ref=nav_t_spc_2_0/176-6089074-4558349?ie=UTF8&node=1041828"  title="Men">Men</a></li>
        <li id="gn_main_3"  ><a href="/b/ref=nav_t_spc_3_0/176-6089074-4558349?ie=UTF8&node=1038590"  title="Baby">Baby</a></li>
        <li id="gn_main_4"  ><a href="/b/ref=nav_t_spc_4_0/176-6089074-4558349?ie=UTF8&node=1041972"  title="Kids">Kids</a></li>
        <li id="gn_main_5"  ><a href="/b/ref=nav_t_spc_5_0/176-6089074-4558349?ie=UTF8&node=1239516011"  title="Shoes">Shoes</a></li>
        <li id="gn_main_6"  ><a href="/b/ref=nav_t_spc_6_0/176-6089074-4558349?ie=UTF8&node=1042004"  title="Beauty">Beauty</a></li>
        <li id="gn_main_7"  ><a href="/b/ref=nav_t_spc_7_0/176-6089074-4558349?ie=UTF8&node=3151061"  title="Home">Home</a></li>
        <li id="gn_main_8"  ><a href="/b/ref=nav_t_spc_8_0/176-6089074-4558349?ie=UTF8&node=1038578"  title="Kitchen">Kitchen</a></li>
        <li id="gn_main_9"  ><a href="/b/ref=nav_t_spc_9_0/176-6089074-4558349?ie=UTF8&node=1041482"  title="Bed and Bath">Bed + Bath</a></li>
        <li id="gn_main_10"  ><a href="/b/ref=nav_t_spc_10_0/176-6089074-4558349?ie=UTF8&node=1038614"  title="Furniture">Furniture</a></li>
        <li id="gn_main_11"  ><a href="/b/ref=nav_t_spc_11_0/176-6089074-4558349?ie=UTF8&node=1038618"  title="Patio and Garden">Patio + Garden</a></li>
        <li id="gn_main_12"  ><a href="/b/ref=nav_t_spc_12_0/176-6089074-4558349?ie=UTF8&node=1038620"  title="Toys">Toys</a></li>
        <li id="gn_main_13"  ><a href="/b/ref=nav_t_spc_13_0/176-6089074-4558349?ie=UTF8&node=1038598"  title="Electronics">Electronics</a></li>
        <li id="gn_main_14"  ><a href="/b/ref=nav_t_spc_14_0/176-6089074-4558349?ie=UTF8&node=1259488011"  title="Movies">Movies</a></li>
<area shape='rect' coords='1,90,189,155' href='http://www.target.com/gp/browse.html/ref=sc_iw_l_0_2/?node=13796461' alt='Juniors. Cool looks. Sunny prices.' />
	<area shape='rect' coords='1,2,192,89' href='http://weeklyad.target.com/target/new_user_entry.aspx?ref=sc_iw_l_0_1' alt='Weekly Ad. Hot Deals on Summer Essentials.' />
	<area shape='rect' coords='1,157,193,210' href='http://www.target.com/gp/browse.html/ref=sc_iw_l_0_3/?node=1042122' alt='Video Games. Bestsellers, new titles and more.' />
	<area shape='rect' coords='1,211,191,265' href='http://www.target.com/gp/browse.html/ref=sc_iw_l_0_4/?node=1038620' alt='Toys. Water toys for girls and boys.' />
	<area shape='rect' coords='0,266,193,324' href='http://www.target.com/gp/browse.html/ref=sc_iw_l_0_5/?node=3429461' alt='iPods. Sale on select styles.' />
	<area shape='rect' coords='0,325,191,394' href='http://www.target.com/gp/browse.html/ref=sc_iw_l_0_6/?node=1239516011' alt='Shoes. Step out with summer deals.' />
<area class="quickInfoLink_Map" onclick="return imageMapInvokeQuickInfo(this,'sc_iw_b_2_slot_0_1038576');" onmouseout="imageMapHideQuickInfoHover(this);" onmouseover="imageMapShowQuickInfoHover(this);"  shape='rect' coords='49,3,259,288' href='/dp/B002OERH24/ref=sc_iw_b_2_slot_0_1038576' alt='$160 Sale. Graco Alano Travel System - Melanie' />
	<area shape='rect' coords='276,7,623,103' href='http://www.target.com/gp/browse.html/ref=sc_iw_r_2_1_0/?node=1038590' alt='it's the baby sale. Shop all baby.' />
	<area shape='rect' coords='3,123,73,207' href='http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=sc_iw_r_2_1_8/?asin=B002OERH24' alt='$160 Sale. Graco Alano Travel System - Melanie' />
	<area class="quickInfoLink_Map" onclick="return imageMapInvokeQuickInfo(this,'sc_iw_b_2_slot_0_1038576');" onmouseout="imageMapHideQuickInfoHover(this);" onmouseover="imageMapShowQuickInfoHover(this);"  shape='rect' coords='279,112,388,196' href='/dp/B002QX5EZ0/ref=sc_iw_b_2_slot_0_1038576' alt='$55.99 Sale. TIDDLIWINKS 3 piece BED SET' />
	<area shape='rect' coords='279,197,391,243' href='http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=sc_iw_r_2_1_5/?asin=B002QX5EZ0' alt='$55.99 Sale. TIDDLIWINKS 3 piece BED SET' />
	<area shape='rect' coords='274,244,394,279' href='http://www.target.com/gp/browse.html/ref=sc_iw_r_2_1_1/?node=1041942' alt='Baby Bedding' />
	<area class="quickInfoLink_Map" onclick="return imageMapInvokeQuickInfo(this,'sc_iw_b_2_slot_0_1038576');" onmouseout="imageMapHideQuickInfoHover(this);" onmouseover="imageMapShowQuickInfoHover(this);"  shape='rect' coords='399,110,511,197' href='/dp/B000YSP0VM/ref=sc_iw_b_2_slot_0_1038576' alt='$223.99 Sale. Britax Marathon Convertible Car Seat- Cowmooflage' />
	<area shape='rect' coords='402,199,501,245' href='http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=sc_iw_r_2_1_6/?asin=B000YSP0VM' alt='$223.99 Sale. Britax Marathon Convertible Car Seat- Cowmooflage' />
	<area shape='rect' coords='403,246,505,277' href='http://www.target.com/gp/browse.html/ref=sc_iw_r_2_1_2/?node=3666461' alt='Baby Gear' />
	<area class="quickInfoLink_Map" onclick="return imageMapInvokeQuickInfo(this,'sc_iw_b_2_slot_0_1038576');" onmouseout="imageMapHideQuickInfoHover(this);" onmouseover="imageMapShowQuickInfoHover(this);"  shape='rect' coords='517,111,633,184' href='/dp/B002646750/ref=sc_iw_b_2_slot_0_1038576' alt='$160 Sale. Graco Charleston Classic Convertible Crib Classic White' />
	<area shape='rect' coords='518,200,623,244' href='http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=sc_iw_r_2_1_7/?asin=B002646750' alt='$160 Sale. Graco Charleston Classic Convertible Crib Classic White' />
	<area shape='rect' coords='511,251,634,274' href='http://www.target.com/gp/browse.html/ref=sc_iw_r_2_1_3/?node=3666481' alt='Baby Furniture' />
	<area shape='rect' coords='457,283,627,297' href='http://www.target.com/gp/browse.html/ref=sc_iw_r_2_1_4/?node=12959861' alt='Sale Ends June 5th 2010. See offer details.' />

ipopbb · Jun 3, 2010

Shoes.com spliffs the same way as target... I think target did first because shoes.com has some good ones that target would have stolen had they known...

Example of spliffing colors... Oh yes... my homepage navigation just happened to need a color navigation of this variety... has nothing to do with the fact that colors pair well with shoe styles in searches.

They didn't spliff just any colors... those are top selling colors in apparel... those are MONEY COLORS! LOL.

Code:

  <div id="qs-color-womens">
        <select name="qs-selectcolor-womens" id="qs-selectcolor-womens" disabled="true">
          <option value="" selected="selected">Any Color</option>
          <option value="4294965946">Beige</option>
          <option value="4294966137">Black</option>
          <option value="4294966110">Blue</option>
          <option value="4294965843">Bone</option>
          <option value="4294965735">Bronze</option>
          <option value="4294966117">Brown</option>
          <option value="4294965945">Burgandy</option>
          <option value="4294965996">Clear</option>
          <option value="4294965739">Gold</option>
          <option value="4294966014">Green</option>
          <option value="4294966069">Grey</option>
          <option value="4294966099">Metallic</option>
          <option value="4294966100">Multi</option>
          <option value="4294966113">Natural</option>
          <option value="4294966116">Navy</option>
          <option value="4294965986">Orange</option>
          <option value="4294966054">Pink</option>
          <option value="4294966084">Purple</option>
          <option value="4294966036">Red</option>
          <option value="4294965835">Silver</option>
          <option value="4294966120">Tan</option>
          <option value="4294965947">Taupe</option>
          <option value="4294966132">White</option>
          <option value="4294965962">Yellow</option>
        </select>
      </div>
      <div id="qs-color-mens">
        <select name="qs-selectcolor-mens" disabled="true">
          <option value="" selected="selected">Any Color</option>
          <option value="4294965946">Beige</option>
          <option value="4294966137">Black</option>
          <option value="4294966110">Blue</option>
          <option value="4294965843">Bone</option>
          <option value="4294965735">Bronze</option>
          <option value="4294966117">Brown</option>
          <option value="4294965945">Burgandy</option>
          <option value="4294965996">Clear</option>
          <option value="4294965739">Gold</option>
          <option value="4294966014">Green</option>
          <option value="4294966069">Grey</option>
          <option value="4294966099">Metallic</option>
          <option value="4294966100">Multi</option>
          <option value="4294966113">Natural</option>
          <option value="4294966116">Navy</option>
          <option value="4294965986">Orange</option>
          <option value="4294966054">Pink</option>
          <option value="4294966084">Purple</option>
          <option value="4294966036">Red</option>
          <option value="4294965835">Silver</option>
          <option value="4294966120">Tan</option>
          <option value="4294965947">Taupe</option>
          <option value="4294966132">White</option>
          <option value="4294965962">Yellow</option>
        </select>
      </div>
      <div id="qs-color-girls">
        <select name="qs-selectcolor-girls" disabled="true">
          <option value="" selected="selected">Any Color</option>
          <option value="4294965946">Beige</option>
          <option value="4294966137">Black</option>
          <option value="4294966110">Blue</option>
          <option value="4294965843">Bone</option>
          <option value="4294965735">Bronze</option>
          <option value="4294966117">Brown</option>
          <option value="4294965945">Burgandy</option>
          <option value="4294965996">Clear</option>
          <option value="4294965739">Gold</option>
          <option value="4294966014">Green</option>
          <option value="4294966069">Grey</option>
          <option value="4294966099">Metallic</option>
          <option value="4294966100">Multi</option>
          <option value="4294966113">Natural</option>
          <option value="4294966116">Navy</option>
          <option value="4294965986">Orange</option>
          <option value="4294966054">Pink</option>
          <option value="4294966084">Purple</option>
          <option value="4294966036">Red</option>
          <option value="4294965835">Silver</option>
          <option value="4294966120">Tan</option>
          <option value="4294965947">Taupe</option>
          <option value="4294966132">White</option>
          <option value="4294965962">Yellow</option>
        </select>
      </div>
      <div id="qs-color-boys">
        <select name="qs-selectcolor-boys" disabled="true">
          <option value="" selected="selected">Any Color</option>
          <option value="4294965946">Beige</option>
          <option value="4294966137">Black</option>
          <option value="4294966110">Blue</option>
          <option value="4294965843">Bone</option>
          <option value="4294965735">Bronze</option>
          <option value="4294966117">Brown</option>
          <option value="4294965945">Burgandy</option>
          <option value="4294965996">Clear</option>
          <option value="4294965739">Gold</option>
          <option value="4294966014">Green</option>
          <option value="4294966069">Grey</option>
          <option value="4294966099">Metallic</option>
          <option value="4294966100">Multi</option>
          <option value="4294966113">Natural</option>
          <option value="4294966116">Navy</option>
          <option value="4294965986">Orange</option>
          <option value="4294966054">Pink</option>
          <option value="4294966084">Purple</option>
          <option value="4294966036">Red</option>
          <option value="4294965835">Silver</option>
          <option value="4294966120">Tan</option>
          <option value="4294965947">Taupe</option>
          <option value="4294966132">White</option>
          <option value="4294965962">Yellow</option>
        </select>
      </div>
      <div id="qs-color-bags">
        <select name="qs-selectcolor-bags" disabled="true">
          <option value="" selected="selected">Any Color</option>
          <option value="4294965946">Beige</option>
          <option value="4294966137">Black</option>
          <option value="4294966110">Blue</option>
          <option value="4294965843">Bone</option>
          <option value="4294965735">Bronze</option>
          <option value="4294966117">Brown</option>
          <option value="4294965945">Burgandy</option>
          <option value="4294965996">Clear</option>
          <option value="4294965739">Gold</option>
          <option value="4294966014">Green</option>
          <option value="4294966069">Grey</option>
          <option value="4294966099">Metallic</option>
          <option value="4294966100">Multi</option>
          <option value="4294966113">Natural</option>
          <option value="4294966116">Navy</option>
          <option value="4294965986">Orange</option>
          <option value="4294966054">Pink</option>
          <option value="4294966084">Purple</option>
          <option value="4294966036">Red</option>
          <option value="4294965835">Silver</option>
          <option value="4294966120">Tan</option>
          <option value="4294965947">Taupe</option>
          <option value="4294966132">White</option>
          <option value="4294965962">Yellow</option>
        </select>
      </div>

Spliffing isn't a crime... keyword stuffing is... know and love the difference.

ipopbb · Jun 3, 2010

Just one more! LOL

This one is from sears.com... LOL... To quote Ghostbusters... no human being would stack books like this!

This is the... "I'm kinda new to all this and this is what it took to get it to work" approach... hidden inputs are great for spliffing

Code:

<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Tools" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1020000" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Lawn & Garden" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1020001" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Computers & Electronics" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1020002" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Appliances" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1020003" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Baby" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1020004" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Automotive" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1020005" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Fitness & Sports" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1020006" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="For the Home" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1020007" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Jewelry" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1020008" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Gifts" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1020009" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Toys & Games" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1020010" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Clothing" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1020011" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Shoes" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1020013" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Kenmore" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1022298" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="z_DEAD Cats & Subcats" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1022946" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Shipping" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1022999" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="z_DEAD Cats & Subcats" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1023024" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Beauty" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1023303" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Home Services" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1023816" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Outdoor Living" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1024037" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Health & Wellness" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1024539" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Workwear & Uniforms" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1024801" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Bed & Bath" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1025181" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Sears Pro" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1028968" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Pet Supplies" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1029162" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Books & Magazines" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1029616" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Food & Grocery" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1030488" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Tool Catalog" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1030732" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Movies Music & Gaming" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1036166" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Tools" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1020000" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Lawn & Garden" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1020001" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Computers & Electronics" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1020002" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Appliances" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1020003" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Baby" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1020004" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Automotive" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1020005" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Fitness & Sports" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1020006" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="For the Home" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1020007" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Jewelry" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1020008" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Gifts" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1020009" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Toys & Games" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1020010" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Clothing" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1020011" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Shoes" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="1020013" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Entertainment Game Rating" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="100000000114018" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="Kenmore Retailer Campaigns" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="100000000178531" />
			
<input type="hidden" name="description" value="print rebate" />
<input type="hidden" name="topCategory" value="120000000027008" />

Proxy Cake · Jun 3, 2010

I sorta get what's happening here but not really lol. Dude can you explain what it is and how someone should do it?

That'd reallllllly help

Bugalugs · Jun 3, 2010

I'd really appreciate knowing how to do this as well. Does this have to be done in the initial setup? Can you go back and add these things to existing code on your sites or will that muck it up? What is the simplest way we can go about this if we are not really all that savvy with html, stylesheets, php etc. Hope this makes sense.
What I mean is .....we can't just drop the KW in wherever we feel like it into the existing source code, can we. There must be a proper way to do it. So how do we do it please?

Like your input on SEO ipoppb. You have very interesting things to say that we are able to learn from.

Bugs

ipopbb · Jun 3, 2010

yup...

Keyword Stuffing and Keyword Spliffing are pretty much the same thing EXCEPT one is a violation of Goggle's webmaster guidelines and the other is not. Any technique that lets you stuff keywords without drawing the IRE of Google is a spliff. Big companies learned to spliff first for the most part because they are so invested in reporting webspam to Google. These big companies tend to have direct inside contact at google usually on the AdWords side of things because their spends are high enough to warrant a managed relationship. The big companies learn really quickly what google is willing and not willing to tolerate based on what reported violations get addressed and not addressed. Eventually, as all SEO folk do, they say "if you can't beat em join em" so they adopt the grey practice of spliffing based on what they know to be safe or wager to be safe based on other giants practices and invested interests. Google can't punish walmart and not punish 10 other retailers for the same thing... Google can't even acknowledge the power they have in online retail...to do so would open the monopoly anti-trust floodgates... Google pretends blissful ignorance and turns the other cheek and the big boys never cross the thick gray line. But in general the big boy stuffing techniques are pretty safe and widespread...

There are classics like:

* cross department notes in comments
* unnecessary navigation
* suboptimal design patterns that carry the urkel "Did I do that?" signature
* aptly named variable
* overly verbose title attributes and alt texts
* overly verbose input values
* overly verbose tag names and ids and class labels

These companies don't trust the homepage of their publicly traded brands to just any old baffoon. The only reason these developers deviate from elegant and efficient design
patterns is SEO. The hallmark of most spliffs is how unnecessary it is to code functionality that way. They could have saved tons of time with JS but instead they hard coded practically the same color menu 4 times for heavens sake. They are spending lots of extra money on bandwidth with these techniques... but its not worth the cost savings to fix them.

bobbylove321 · Jun 3, 2010

Having your images optimized with the keyword DOES increase your SEO efforts.

I add an image with every single post that I do to my site.

ipopbb · Jun 3, 2010

Afraid you have to learn a lot of stuff to do this safely. Its not hard to learn. Just takes time and effort. If you don't know CSS,HTML, Javascript and the fundamentals of HTTP then you probably shouldn't come this close to crossing the Google Guidelines... If you do know this stuff then why not play the same games as target sears amazon overstock etc...

Bugalugs said:
I'd really appreciate knowing how to do this as well. Does this have to be done in the initial setup? Can you go back and add these things to existing code on your sites or will that muck it up? What is the simplest way we can go about this if we are not really all that savvy with html, stylesheets, php etc. Hope this makes sense.
What I mean is .....we can't just drop the KW in wherever we feel like it into the existing source code, can we. There must be a proper way to do it. So how do we do it please?

Like your input on SEO ipoppb. You have very interesting things to say that we are able to learn from.

Bugs

coreyfmiller · Jun 3, 2010

I think I'm going to have to give this a shot. Cant hurt! I think I do for the most part out of habit but the image names could be optimized a bit more I guess.

darkface · Jun 3, 2010

Cheers for all that info, that is really great. I am following up on it and changing some of my sites around, I've used some spliffing but not enough when I see this haha

ipopbb said:
Afraid you have to learn a lot of stuff to do this safely. Its not hard to learn. Just takes time and effort. If you don't know CSS,HTML, Javascript and the fundamentals of HTTP then you probably shouldn't come this close to crossing the Google Guidelines... If you do know this stuff then why not play the same games as target sears amazon overstock etc...

RankWithShelly · Jun 3, 2010

Definitely use ALT tags and optimize your image names. No image2.jpg for a good site. Instead keyword.jpg with ALT tags. Helps not only in the SERPs but also in google image search. I get some decent traffic through the images I have on my site because I optimized them and now they show up in image search.

hacknslash · Jun 3, 2010

That expression about "spliffing" keywords is a new one to me.
Naturally I understand the concept as advanced keyword stuffing
that you can still get away with but that expression is
apparently so new that no other threads on BHW even have that word in them.

And "Spliffing keywords" turns up ZERO results in Google (well I guess until this thread gets crawled). ha ha

Okay who is taking credit for coining that new word? ipopbb?

snwbrdstylee · Jun 3, 2010

Using the most extreme example I could conjure, would you consider the following going to far?

Code:

<a href="phoenix-italian-restaurant.html" id="phoenix-AZ-italian-restaurant-link" title="The best italian restaurant in Phoenix, AZ" class="Arizona-italian-restaurant-link" name="italian restaurant phoenix">

<img src="/phoenix-italian-restaurant.jpg" id="phoenix-AZ-italian-restaurant-img"  alt="The best italian food in Phoenix, Arizona" title="The best italian restaurant in Phoenix, AZ" class="Arizona-italian-restaurant-link" name="italian restaurant phoenix"/>

</a>

<!-- Link to the best Italian Restaurant in Phoenix Arizona, Uncle Sal's. If you are looking for the very best Italian Food in AZ, this link will take you to Uncle Sal's website  -->

ipopbb · Jun 3, 2010

hacknslash said:
That expression about "spliffing" keywords is a new one to me.
Naturally I understand the concept as advanced keyword stuffing
that you can still get away with but that expression is
apparently so new that no other threads on BHW even have that word in them.

And "Spliffing keywords" turns up ZERO results in Google (well I guess until this thread gets crawled). ha ha

Okay who is taking credit for coining that new word? ipopbb?

Not I. I learned it conversationally while working at MSN many years ago. It stuck with me because there isn't a word. Just don't ask me to explain "splam" and its relation to spliffing.

I believe it came from an engineer in marketing who was fond of Finnegan's wake...

ipopbb · Jun 3, 2010

Spliff!

you forgot, but its optional rel attributes and html comments, javascript to use the names ids and classes for even more matches... so it in fact can get a lot more extreme! If you want it too!

snwbrdstylee said:

Using the most extreme example I could conjure, would you consider the following going to far?

Code:

<a href="phoenix-italian-restaurant.html" id="phoenix-AZ-italian-restaurant-link" title="The best italian restaurant in Phoenix, AZ" class="Arizona-italian-restaurant-link" name="italian restaurant phoenix">

<img src="/phoenix-italian-restaurant.jpg" id="phoenix-AZ-italian-restaurant-img"  alt="The best italian food in Phoenix, Arizona" title="The best italian restaurant in Phoenix, AZ" class="Arizona-italian-restaurant-link" name="italian restaurant phoenix"/>

</a>

<!-- Link to the best Italian Restaurant in Phoenix Arizona, Uncle Sal's. If you are looking for the very best Italian Food in AZ, this link will take you to Uncle Sal's website  -->

ultimategamechain · Jun 3, 2010

This just proves that the big boys are really doing their research well.

ipopbb · Jun 3, 2010

ultimategamechain said:
This just proves that the big boys are really doing their research well.

I don't think they "know" they are doing this specifically. I think it is the inevitable outcome to measuring and tuning your site for SEO. Eventually you just get to that point and for the lack of a term I know it as "spliffing". (I'm willing to call it by a better name I just don't know of one.)

Pretty much all the big boys are sacrificing code efficiency for SEO gains. The tactics that don't get them in trouble are spliffs for conversational purposes. It just kinda works.

ALT tags secret to onpage SEO?

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