images and ALT solutions...

[ArtphotoasiA]

Hello there... hope can you help me on this… probably is an old issue but still not clear to me.

I got this message from a toll I use for optimize a page doing SEO

Your keyword frequency in ALT image attributes is too high! Your keyword shouldn't appear more than 3 times in ALTs on your page while it appears 8 times. Remove redundant occurrences of your keyword for ALTs with your favorite HTML editor. Make sure to avoide immediate keyword repetitions in ALT image attributes as this may be considered spam.

The message is quite clear… but not sure if is true not how to solve my trouble.

My situation is the following one:

(1) For me is quite important the use of ALT because in those pages I have few or no text at all as the content is the images themselves….

(2) Normally I have a page with 20 (or more) thumbnails and so 20 (or more) alt tags all linked to 20 (or more) bigger images...

(3) Suppose that all the images of my album are related to 'Rome' ... in all the alt tag there will be/should be something like ''photo of... in 'Rome' " ???

(4) Final results.... 20 alt tag and 20 times Rome as keyword.

QUESTIONS

Many people suggest correctly to insert in the alt tag the description of the image... and in the description should be useful to insert the keyword you want to achieve position for.... what and where is the limit? Can arm my website?

Actually the error I got from the toll make sense... but what is the best alternative?

In case of a page with an album of 20 (or more) images or more on it what is the best way?

Just use the main keyword in the first 3 alt tag of images? then skip for the rest of them? What else?

At the present time I noted no problems at all with yahoo but in Google the position is far far away.....
Hope to see good reply and solution …

Regards and thank you in advance.

[jay 11]

I would ignore that SEO tool. As long as your keywords are used naturally in grammatically correct fashion, you should be fine. With the Alt tags, try being more literate. Paint the picture with words. For example, "The Colosseum in Rome."

[ArtphotoasiA]

Sure... I agree with you... I just got an answer from a good guy and it seams that unless you use the same keyword in the same alt attribute in the same pictures many times ... will be ok... so keep working!!

Regards and thanks for answer.

[tonygreg123]

Jay 11 gives you true answer. I don't think so that Google will mind it mean extensive use of Alt tag if it is natural but don't try to cheat Google.

[canadafred]

Jay 11 gives you true answer. I don't think so that Google will mind it mean extensive use of Alt tag if it is natural but don't try to cheat Google.

Yep. I'm with Jay. If it doesn't appear natural it may not be rewarded it's value. I go with short but complete sentences and get some keyphrase variables in there to give the image description additional intelligence. Example keyphrase variables include: pluralizing, altering verb tenses, working the prefixes and suffixes, abbreviations, acronyms, antonyms and synonymous keyphrases. There's probably more ... morphology, lexicons ...

[mimozl]

Is true sometimes is better your knowledge and your brain that many seo tools.

[jay 11]

Is true sometimes is better your knowledge and your brain that many seo tools.

say what!?! :)

[canadafred]

say what!?! :)

I think he's saying that a person's brain is also a tool and in comparison to the SEO tools, is far better. Well, that would be good I suppose. :-/

[AirForceOne]

In my own experiences, alt attribute is necessary for image optimization purpose but don't stuff keywords there. Also, I don't think some keywords appear in different images' alt attributes would be taken as spam. :)

Thanks,

[ArtphotoasiA]

Yes the issue is definetely more clear now...

[ArtphotoasiA]

Ok here we have the definitive answer... from google webmaster tool itself....

The alt attribute is used to describe the contents of an image file. It's important for several reasons:

* It provides Google with useful information about the subject matter of the image. We use this information to help determine the best image to return for a user's query.
* Many people-for example, users with visual impairments, or people using screen readers or who have low-bandwidth connections-may not be able to see images on web pages. Descriptive alt text provides these users with important information.

Not so good:

<img src="puppy.jpg" alt=""/>

Better:

<img src="puppy.jpg" alt="puppy"/>

Best:

<img src="puppy.jpg" alt="Dalmatian puppy playing fetch">

To be avoided

<img src="puppy.jpg" alt="puppy dog baby
dog pup pups puppies doggies pups litter puppies dog retriever
labrador wolfhound setter pointer puppy jack russell terrier
puppies dog food cheap dogfood puppy food"/>

[karol33]

ALT image attributes are also very important and must be written down with every img, just be awere of keywords density more than that issue and dont give alt text like 'beer beer beer beer beer' for 1 img, just use simply message that describes that img in the best way