Moz Q&A is closed.
After more than 13 years, and tens of thousands of questions, Moz Q&A closed on 12th December 2024. Whilst we’re not completely removing the content - many posts will still be possible to view - we have locked both new posts and new replies. More details here.
[HELP!] File Name and ALT Tags
-
Hi, please answer my questions:
1. Is it okay to use the same keyword on both file name and alt tags when inserting an image?
Example:
File Name: buy-lego-online.jpg
ALT tag: buy-lego-online
Will it trigger Google Panda? Will I be penalized for that? Or the file name and alt tags should be different from each other? Because when inserting an image on Wordpress, the alt tags are always the same as the file name by default.
2. For example, I have 2 images in a page (same topic/niche) and I will put "cheap-lego-for-kids" and "best-lego-for-sale" as alt tags. Considering that I repeat the word "lego", is it considered keyword stuffing? Will I be penalized for that?
Thanks in advance!
-
I know this is like beating a dead horse, but thought I would link to Search Metric's 2014 ranking factors study. What is missing in what they see as factors that increase rank is ALT tags on images.
You can see the infographic below, you can also download the 80+ page report which I would highly recommend
http://www.searchmetrics.com/wp-content/uploads/infographic-seo-ranking-factors-2014.jpg
~Cheers
-
Using a word twice on a page is indeed, not keyword stuffing - where did I say that it was??? I don't believe I have EVER said that in all the years I've worked in digital marketing!
I said that using the same alt tag would be spammy - the reason I think that is that it either implies that you don't have unique images on the page (so what's the point of them?) or that you have been lazy with your alt tags by repeating the same one over again. Both bad user experiences for folk that need them.
-
Hi Amelia, you're right about that alt tags are for people who use screenreaders. Though search engines like google also use the alt tag to recognize there is an image file.
The alt tag is an onpage factor that influence ranking (http://a-moz.groupbuyseo.org/learn/seo/on-page-factors)
Although the alt tag may looks like as not important, it's worth using it.
About the spammy thing, using a word twice on a page has nothing to do with keywordstuffing
Grtz, Leonie
-
Hey Amelia.
Yes you are absolutely correct, alt tags are for people, and should be used to that end. When I said it 'tells' Google what the images is about I was responding directly to Shawn's comment that ALT tags are for accessibility, not SEO...
Technically yes, but Google does use the alt text as a relevancy signal (at least as far as we know). And ranks your image (in Google images) based primarily on that information. It’s a part of SEO for better or worse. Besides, you can both improve your on-page AND give relevant and meaningful info to the user, i've never had to choose. If it came down to it I’d always prioritize the user.
-
Amen Amelia. I said the same, but not nearly as thorough as you did.
-
Hi,
I just wanted to dispel a few myths going on here...
- ALT tags are NOT to 'Tell Google' what the image is about, they are there for people who use screen readers to enrich their use of the internet.
- Screen readers can be set up to read out alt tags, file names or title attributes - depending on the user's preference and presumably on the site they are looking at
- Google can and does read image file names: http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/32567/A-Marketer-s-Guide-to-Optimizing-Images-for-Google-Search.aspx
If you pick relevant images for your pages then you probably will be able to get keywords into both the alt tag and the file name. I don't think this is spammy! It's accurate.
What would be spammy, and this has already been covered by Issac, is if you repeat the same alt text on the same page - vary it! - 'Blue lego bricks' etc. I personally would avoid saying stuff like 'cheap', 'buy' etc UNLESS the image has that text within it (say a picture of lego with a headline within the image saying 'cheap lego') in which case you are doing exactly what the alt tag is there for - enabling screen reader users to experience as similar experience to us sighted folk as possible.
Sorry for the rant, but it annoys me that something that is meant to help people who are (to my mind) at a disadvantage is abused for SEO purposes!
Best wishes,
Amelia
**EDIT: I am well aware that Google and other search engines use alt tags for rankings. What I wanted the OP to be mindful of is that alt tags were not invented 'to tell google what an image is about'. And to point out their value and use for people using screen readers. Most people do not fully understand how blind users navigate the inter-webs, me included. I just think if I can do something to make it easier for them then I will. If you'd prefer to write alt tags purely for the search engines, that is entirely your prerogative! **
-
No you won't be penalised for that.
But do check out my initial response below for a more detailed answer.
-
Thanks so much, Isaac! Sorry for the newbie question. For you, is it okay to use the same file name and alt tags in an image?
For example:
File name: cheap-lego-for-kids.jpg
Alt tag: Cheap Lego for Kids
Will I be penalized for this?
-
A space between each word
Think of the user. Some poeple don't have their images active when useing the web. What would they want to see?
Isaac.
-
Hi Mai.
You should be fine with the example you give. So long as you don't just repeat 'lego for kids’ over and over on the page!
Just add your keywords into natural writing style that your users will find usefull and infomative.Alt tags are useful for SEO. They 'tell' Google what the image is all about. The images and the alt text should be relevant to what's on your page. So I hope your page is about lego products
Alt tags also makes your images more likely to rank in Google images for relevent keyword searches. This is becoming more popular with people who like to scan through products visually.
Hope that helps.
Isaac.
-
Thank you very much! Last question, which one is better to use on alt tags?
SPACE or HYPHEN? Cheap Lego for Kids or cheap-lego-for-kids?
Thanks again!
-
ALT tags are for accessibility, not SEO. Screen readers will look at those tags and read to those that have trouble with seeing the page what the image is.
As long as the ALT tags are accurate representations of what the image is, you should be okay. If you are attempting to stuff keywords into ALT tags and they do not accurately describe what the image is, then you may not receive any benefit and could potentially get some kind of penalty.
-
Hi, Google can't read (yet) image filenames, that's why we use the alt tag, to tell google what's the image is about. So you can use the image file name as alt tag, no problem. If you use the word "lego" twice it's not keyword stuffing.
here's something to read about keyword stuffing: http://a-moz.groupbuyseo.org/community/q/what-constitutes-keyword-stuffing
Grtz, Leonie
Browse Questions
Explore more categories
-
Moz Tools
Chat with the community about the Moz tools.
-
SEO Tactics
Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers
-
Community
Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!
-
Digital Marketing
Chat about tactics outside of SEO
-
Research & Trends
Dive into research and trends in the search industry.
-
Support
Connect on product support and feature requests.
Related Questions
-
Multiple H1 tags on Squarespace blog page?
Hi All, I use Squarespace and while running my site (https://www.growmassagebusiness.com) through programs am seeing that my blog posts are being seen as one page with multiple H1 tags. I read through the SS help desk and found back in 2015 someone wrote that it's not a bit deal b/c of HTML5 and that the search engines will read each blog post as a sub-page. I'm not so sure about that and wondering what the experts think? If that is screwy then I'm considering possibly making each blog post it's own page rather than using their blog posting format.
On-Page Optimization | | rajam0 -
City Name in URL structure
I have a client whose site was built when they only served one market, and they now have that city in the majority of their URLs. I'm suggesting we redo the URL structure to remove this location from the main URLs (think homepage, about, etc.) since they have now expanded to three markets. They are seeing a lot of great organic traffic in that original market but are struggling in the new ones they've added so I'm helping to optimize their site. How critical do you think that removing that location from the URL is? I know we would need to implement 301 redirects, but wanted to get thoughts on this.
On-Page Optimization | | maghanlinchpinsales0 -
Anchor Tag around a Div
Just Curious if this is an SEO No-No! I have set up the box to do some cool SEO transitions but am curious if I am loosing on a signifigant amount of internal linking considering anchor text or if Google recognizes the h2 as anchor text. Thanks. [ Article Title Article Synopsis Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.](internal-page.html)
On-Page Optimization | | Vspeed0 -
Difference in using dividers in TITLE TAG
Hi everyone, i know that dividers in title or even title tag doesnt have much of an impact on better rankings. I had great rankings for many keywords, not using dividers or using only one divider. However for better reading comprehension and usability, and also aesthetics i started to use the pipe as my main divider and other secondary dividers. I saw many pages drop in rankings vs other less competent and with less content pages. My format was as follows: Product Brand | Product description - Additional info or local info ie. Fiber Glass MBI | Insulation Batts for Home and Commercial use - Acoustic and Thermal Insulation I changed the format for a handful of pages, and saw immediate results on rankings and traffic on those pages. Product Brand with Product Description - Additional Info ie. Fiber Glass MBI Insulation Batts for Commercial use - Acoustic and Thermal Insulation. Does it sound like something i should implement page wide. I personally like the aesthetics of the pipe as it gives a cleaner look, but the better rankings on the changed pages with using only one divider makes me think. Does it sound familiar, or its just a coincidence, Regards,
On-Page Optimization | | JesusD0 -
Should we add our company's name in page title tag or not?
We have been adding our company (Townscript) name in all the page titles. For example, in an event page of Lucknow Conclave: www.townscript.com/lucknowconclave the page title is Lucknow Conclave | Alexis Society | Townscript I read somewhere that it's not necessary to put your company's name in the title tag. Is it right? Please help!
On-Page Optimization | | sanchitmalik0 -
Important keywords in product names
Hi! among other we sell motorcycle clothing, which you can buy as a set (both jacket and pants) or single piece. Currently we name the products with the labeling in the beginning, e.g: Motorcycle pants R2000, Motorcycle jacket R2000, Motorcycle kit R2000 Motorcycle pants R4000, Motorcycle jacket R4000, Motorcycle kit R4000 This is causing keyword stuffing and cannibalization in the category pages as all the product names include important keywords. On the other hand it would be beneficial to keep the labeling in the name for search queries for the exact product. What be your recommendations? I tend to take the labeling away.
On-Page Optimization | | RomiSverige0 -
Is it better to include the secondary keyword or site name in a title tag?
When I add a site name to my title tag with long-tailed primary and secondary keywords the title tag is longer than 70 characters. I need to include all three parts, so what should I do? At 70 characters the site name is usually partially cut off. I do not want to get penalized by Google, but I need to include the site name to have consistency. I am using the format Primary Keyword-Secondary Keyword | Site name
On-Page Optimization | | lwilkins0 -
My Domain Name - short vs relevant
I'm creating a website for my new web design company in Vancouver. I'm looking to target such keywords as "Web Design Vancouver", etc. I have another company with a hyphenated domain name which is terrible when I'm on the phone and my client asks me for my domain (hard to say, always spelling it out). Also I wanted to have a good snappy name for my new business so I found a 6 letter .com and matching .ca for my company. My question is: is it best to use a short domain name or is it better have my keywords in the domain name? eg. xyz.com vs xyzvancouverwebdesign.com Thanks
On-Page Optimization | | VebianWebandMobileDevelopment0