RE: IMG ALT tags causing problems in search engines

But really your alt text should read as if it were real page content. Alt
text is intended to be used as a substitute for the images, if the browser
doesn't support them or they are switched off.

I've seen sites that use the alt attribute to contact detailed descriptions
of logos and graphics.  That is not how alt text should be used.

The real question is:  why isn't the search engine using your description
meta tag as the description of the page?

It's NOT worth the accessibility sacrifice of taking out the alt text just
to satisfy one minor search engine.

I assume you know from your referrer log how many visitors are reaching your
site from that search engine.  That's also something to consider, I suppose.

Just some ideas..

Tim



> -----Original Message-----
> From: jay(at)JaySmith.com [mailto:jay(at)JaySmith.com]
> Sent: 10 August 2001 14:35
> To: tim booker
> Subject: Re: IMG ALT tags causing problems in search engines
>
>
> Tim,
>
> Yes.
>
> That is not really the problem.  They are treating the alt tag text as
> if it were ordinary page content.
>
> Jay
>
>
> tim booker wrote:
> >
> > Have you got keywords and description meta tags in the page?
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: owner-hwg-techniques(at)hwg.org
> > > [mailto:owner-hwg-techniques(at)hwg.org]On Behalf Of Jay Smith
> > > Sent: 10 August 2001 03:10
> > > To: hwg-techniques(at)hwg.org
> > > Subject: IMG ALT tags causing problems in search engines
> > >
> > >
> > > Hi,
> > >
> > > One of my sites http://www.JaySmith.com (which badly
> needs a complete
> > > redo -- I know it!) uses alt text in the images in the
> top of the page
> > > -- the logo, navigation stuff, etc.
> > >
> > > That's what I thought one should do.
> > >
> > > However, one of the industry specific search/directory sites
> > > http://www.stampsites.com (then do a search for Jay Smith) does a
> > > great job of listing links to all my pages, but they have
> used my ALT
> > > TEXT as the description/content of my pages.  Really uncool.
> > >
> > > I have mentioned the problem to the staff at this site
> and they said
> > > they would "look into it" -- that was months ago.
> > >
> > > Google & Yahoo both list the site, etc. and do NOT mess it up like
> > > this.
> > >
> > > What do you suggest, other than continuing to complain at
> them?  Get
> > > rid of the alt text?  This search/directory site is important for
> > > me....
> > >
> > > Jay
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Jay Smith
> > >
> > > e-mail: Jay(at)JaySmith.com  mailto:Jay(at)JaySmith.com
> > > website: http://www.JaySmith.com
> > >
> > > Jay Smith & Associates
> > > P.O. Box 650
> > > Snow Camp, NC  27349  USA
> > >
> > > Phone: Int+US+336-376-9991
> > > Toll-Free Phone in US & Canada:
> > >       1-800-447-8267
> > > Fax: Int+US+336-376-6750
> > >
>
> --
> Jay Smith
>
> e-mail: Jay(at)JaySmith.com  mailto:Jay(at)JaySmith.com
> website: http://www.JaySmith.com
>
> Jay Smith & Associates
> P.O. Box 650
> Snow Camp, NC  27349  USA
>
> Phone: Int+US+336-376-9991
> Toll-Free Phone in US & Canada:
> 	1-800-447-8267
> Fax: Int+US+336-376-6750

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