On-page image SEO question - does "Alt" text matter?

workplay

Junior Member

Dec 2, 2011

122

27

• Feb 21, 2012

• #1

I know you should optimize the file name and title of the image for SEO... but do you guys also bother tweaking the alt text for the image too?

 

donnybluejeans

Regular Member

Dec 18, 2009

211

90

• Feb 21, 2012

• #2

always.

 

workplay

Junior Member

Dec 2, 2011

122

27

• Feb 21, 2012
• Thread Starter Thread Starter

• #3

donnybluejeans said:

always.

Click to expand...

what do you usually put for alt text? same keywords? or more longtail?

 

lanbo

Elite Member

Jr. VIP

Premium Member

Aug 23, 2009

4,500

677

• Feb 21, 2012

• #4

Yes it helps with onpage SEO.

 

J

joeyblogz

Registered Member

Feb 18, 2011

56

62

• Feb 21, 2012

• #5

I do optimize the alt text, but I don't use the straight keyword usually. I'll use something descriptive which contains it, such as "red widget example image". Alt tags are there for users that have non-graphical browsers so I'll use a phrase that would be contextually relevant.

 

nethead01

Power Member

Sep 21, 2009

556

337

• Feb 21, 2012

• #6

google cant tell what the image is without it so the alt tag tells google what it is, put you keywords in alt tag for all images

 

donnybluejeans

Regular Member

Dec 18, 2009

211

90

• Feb 21, 2012

• #7

A little of both. If the image keyword is far down my list I usually go with one of the more important ones I'm using. Ie: instead of say Spicy meat balls and sauce, I may just go with meatballs or something similar. It really depends on the situation.

 

hameem

Elite Member

Jul 21, 2011

1,914

1,010

• Feb 21, 2012

• #8

You can use some similar other keywords which you might wanna also rank for as ALT text.

 

F

flist

Registered Member

Jan 14, 2012

73

18

• Feb 21, 2012

• #9

You can use title="" on the images too. And links! I like that one. I do alt and title on everything right now within reason.

 

T

t0mmy

Banned for abuse of staff and attempting extortion

Jun 5, 2011

8,528

18,176

• Feb 21, 2012

• #10

I always use it, but then again i always use ALL the old onpage SEO tips even down to the metatags, best to cover all bases imo

 

Taktical

Elite Member

May 15, 2011

1,641

3,343

• Feb 21, 2012

• #11

t0mmy said:

I always use it, but then again i always use ALL the old onpage SEO tips even down to the metatags, best to cover all bases imo

Click to expand...

agreed. i never fully let go of even outdated methods. that said, if you take the image alt, titles, content, image filenames, url, and meta tags all into account, you're flirting with keyword stuffing. dont keep repeating the exact keyword too many times.

 

partymarty4870

Elite Member

Jul 7, 2010

2,032

1,697

• Feb 21, 2012

• #12

I still do - but I don't really know how important it still is.