How can I assign an ALT attribute to a picture correctly?

Each web page is created using markup - the code that is written in a specially provided language (most often it's HTML). The user's browser, in turn, knows how to read this code to properly display all the information that the creators of the resource wanted to convey to us. It turns out that all the elements of what we see on the web page are provided by the source code of the site that we visit.

Code optimization

As you can guess, each letter of this code, each character, is significant. Still, interestingly, it happens that visually the site may not contain those elements that are extremely important for its optimization (meaning the correct setting of the resource for search engines). Among such unobtrusive ones, for example, the ALT attribute. He is on the pages of many resources, and very often we simply do not notice him.

In this article, we would like to pay attention to this element of web design. Here we will tell you what it is so important for the correct ranking of the site, the growth of its attendance and the user's convenience in working with it.

What is the ALT attribute ?

Let's start from the very beginning: we will describe what this article is about and why we need this attribute in general.

So, to understand this text, you first need to understand the markup language HTML. This is the code on which the basic web pages are written, which, as already noted, has a property to be displayed in the browser. The entire language consists of special attributes (for example, IMG, ALT, FONT and so on). Each of them is responsible for working with this or that design element. In practice, the above-mentioned ALT attribute is used for images that can be found on site pages. Specifically, with its help, a description is created for pictures by which the user (the site visitor) can easily and easily understand what is shown on them. Surely you yourself have encountered such descriptions - they arise when you hover the mouse over the picture.

Practical meaning

Of course, these attributes are used in practice for a reason. Webmasters need descriptions of their images no less than the visitors themselves (and, most likely, even more). After all, if all images do not have the ALT attribute, a person can not even notice it, if explanatory texts are added to the pictures on the page. On the other hand, search robots (with empty ALT) may not sufficiently appreciate the site, reduce its position in the issuance and, thus, will not bring enough visitors. Therefore, we can say with confidence that the descriptions of the pictures on the site also play an important role for the webmasters themselves, so they can not be neglected.

Bonus from search engines

In order to understand better than the correctly filled tags of descriptions for pictures, we give a small example. Let's say there is a site with images on it. If you do not specify the ALT attribute, the user will not be affected, as he will in any case see what is depicted on this or that photo. Completely different outcome awaits the owner of the resource, which will neglect the above tag, because of what will lose some of the traffic from the picture catalogs, for example.

How to register the ALT attribute?

Technically, there is nothing difficult to fill in with a picture description. It's obvious: you need to go to the HTML editor on your site and find the image code (starts with IMG and ends with it). Inside this block of code there is a code. That's what they mean when they say that you need to set the ALT attribute. This is done like this: "alt =" description ".

If you are not working with pure code, but using a separate "engine" for the site (for example, Wordpress or Joomla), it has a special mechanism for adding "alt", through which our site will be remembered by the search engines. If you fill out a new ALT, the update appears on your page.

What do they write in the attribute?

Of course, when you have a problem assigning an ALT attribute, you are not thinking about the technical side. Most often this question is asked in the event that the webmaster does not know what information he needs to indicate about a particular image. Because of this, it is difficult to say what information will go to the site in terms of search engines.

In practice, there are many approaches to solving the problem of description. Someone works with typical templates, according to which the tag is simply filled with the keywords under which the page is created. Perhaps this is the most common practice, which can often be found. Sometimes, instead of looking for an ALT attribute, the user simply leaves this place empty. Here it should be clarified that each independently decides as to what description to indicate.

Requirements

At the same time, it is possible to distinguish several basic rules (or, if you like, requirements) for which everyone can add the ideal attribute for their pictures. They consist of a small number of items, each of which refers to the descriptions of photos and pictures on the site.

For example, the first such requirement is the length of the entire text. If you are looking for a proper ALT attribute, the solution is simple: use no more than 2-3 words. The text of this size will, firstly, be perfectly read by the search robot (and make your site more relational); Secondly, this description is more understandable to users. Agree, read the whole sentence, if you just want to know what is shown in the picture, no one will. It is enough to briefly and accurately describe the description, which will be useful to you and the customers.

Do not forget about the semantic load. If you publish a photo with an elephant, be sure to describe its breed or history; Specify why it is shown on this photo, what you would like to say. It will be useful for the visitor to know your thoughts regarding this elephant.

Another important point (which was established during numerous practical tests) is uniqueness. If you are looking for how to assign an ALT attribute to a picture, remember: it must be selected unique for each of the listed photos on the site. For example, to publish three pictures in a row with the signature "my elephant" will be wrong - this will only harm your resource in the SERP. It is better to call the images "elephant 1" and "elephant 2", which will make them more unique.

Finally, remember the parameters of the images you are looking for, how to add the ALT attribute. For pictures it is important to meet a number of criteria - to have not too small sizes, to look realistic. That is, if you specify a description, then do this for more serious images that are taken into account more weightily. Do not specify the ALT attribute for any small smileys or something else like that.

Search ALT

Finally, we talked about the basics of the attribute, some rules for its compilation and the requirements of both parties (both users and search robots) to them. Now we will think: so how can we search for keywords and phrases that we will be registering on our website? As noted above, the search should be directed towards ready-made keyword bases, which really begin to attract customers to your site. Of course, this is not achieved if you still do not have the ALT attribute. Take the ready-made keywords and phrases that apply in the content, and paste in the pictures.

If you do not have such information and you did not think at all about starting to slowly develop your resource, we suggest starting to look for databases of such "key words" with which you can easily create new websites. For this, services such as Google Keyword Extract Tool or Yandex.Wordstat, which show search statistics for particular phrases, are excellent. "Playing" with these settings, you can significantly increase the share of search traffic on your sites and thereby begin to derive new benefits. The main thing is that there is no situation in which all visible images have no ALT attribute.

conclusions

So, what can we say about the attribute described in this article? It is part of the language on which the simplest sites are created - HTML. To do this is very simple, since an elementary, basic language is described. In order to still register the tag in the pictures, you need to independently design it through the source code. Or, using the new instructions, start to re-create. Whatever it was, and the indication of the ALT tags is the ideal case of mutual benefit, when both the visitor and the owner of the resource are satisfied.

Tagging the tag can lead to new visitors - especially often such a phenomenon is observed on services such as Google and Yandex Images. When clicking on a picture, the site independently determines the source from which the image was taken and redirects the visitor. And this, as you know, is very important to be able to do in the future.