View Full Version : How Important is ALT Text on text links?

daniel_endara
10-19-2004, 06:43 AM
I know that Alt text on images is important.

How about normal text links? Is it needed or is it a small trick to include more content in html?
jlknauff
10-19-2004, 07:01 AM
If I remember correctly, it's called something else. In any case I would avoid it unless you have a specific reason. You have to remember that even though we want to optimize our pages as best as we can for the spiders-we don't want to do it at the expense of our visitors. When you put your mouse over a link do you want a big yellow box to come up and get in the way?
wyrickj
10-19-2004, 08:50 AM
The tag is called Title in the Text. I don't use ether and I rank really good for the new MSN (Not considering Google)
tomh
10-20-2004, 02:26 PM
ive been using it and it did not helped me noticable so u can remove them IMO if u dont need it for a nice mouse over tooltip
eduardomaio
11-09-2004, 02:38 AM
As far as I know alt tag only works on images with links, the title tag is only used as a nice tooltip, no effect in SERPs classification...
CMA
11-09-2004, 11:24 AM
The best way to do seo stuff in the lower regions, where i am still playing round, is thinking about the visitor first.
So, when you are using Titles, make shure they help and inform your readers.
It is much better to create informative Text Links, get mentioned in the context (e.g. if you want more infos about SEO visit the great SEO Board.." and these stuff, then to be stuck on link pages ;-)
Greetings
David
ResaleBroker
11-09-2004, 04:52 PM
I noticed SEOGUY wrote about this in his SEO (http://www.seo-guy.com/seo-tutorial/webpage-touchup.html) Tutorial. Is this information still valid?
serp
11-11-2004, 04:56 AM
I dont think that alt tags are important... but here is an intresting article

http://www.slackerhtml.com/Importance-of-Using-ALT-Text-and-Heading-Tags.htm
jlknauff
11-11-2004, 05:23 AM
serp, you are looking at it from only an SEO point of view-the pupose of alt text is for visitors that don't have their images on or people with text browsers or in the event that the image doesn't load. besides, for an html compliant page they need to be there.
keywordseo
11-15-2004, 07:35 PM
yeah i agree with the above comments, the biggest reason to do seo, is to attract more visistors, if you make it a bothersome experience, it defeats the whole purpose
serp
11-16-2004, 05:51 AM
what are you talking about... text browsers? man we are living in 21 century 98% has fast computers and internet so...
jlknauff
11-16-2004, 06:18 AM
Um, yeah...have you ever heard of people with visuion problems that use browsers that read the text to them. Without alt text what does that pic mean to them? Besides, if you think no one is using text browsers you are wrong.

You need to be using alt tags both for the visitors and for seo. Not to mention that it's required for a html/xhtml compliant page.

And what do you mean by "98% of people have fast computers & interent" ? Are you trying to tell me 98% of people have broadband? Not even close man.