ALT TEXT for photos, etc.

[mmyplace]

Hi, re-doing webpages and need to name photos in alt. text. Is there a special format for doing this? I thought I remembered that using dashes is good, but capital letters is not....or maybe that is just for pages. thanks for help! http://maravillamountain.com

[Vasili]

Re: writing alt text for photos, etc.

If you think adding ALT TEXT to images increases optimization values significantly, think again.

Images need to be Titled (the image File Name) uniquely for each page with clearly obvious Relevance to the Page Content, Page Name, and even Navigation --- all of which should be sharing Keywords and "theme" construct for minimal Relevancy creation. After this construct, ALT TEXT can be added to increase created Relevancy, but the fractional contributory value of ALT TEXT will never be equal to or acceptable as a compromise or substitute for the proper Metadata foundation that needs be present prior which the Search Engines require to create value upon (as mentioned above regarding proper Image Titles).

ALT TEXT is simply an "option" to be added to objects (images, graphs, icons, etc.) that was meant to be an aid to visually impaired Visitors who enabled voice tools (i.e. "talking browsers") to audibly 'describe' the web pages being visited.

Adding ALT TEXT to images and objects will be valued marginally as a "contributing" optimization value toward overall "Build" standards, as it demonstrates simple "completion" of all available options and entries only -- it is not an element of Metadata. The visual "mouseover" benefits that you have learned to implement for Visitors are an additional gimmick, but they are still added benefits and not primary.

Unlike Image Titles (which should created using lowercase letters with no blank spaces) ALT TEXT should be written and appear as normally composed, natural Text so it can be "read" digitally and/or visually by Visitors with ease.

Beware any SEO service provider or Tool that elevates ALT TEXT to improper importance other than this stated primary function!