| Keywords to images are just as important in | | | | In fact, some directory sites are becoming more |
| your Search Engine Optimization process as | | | | image-based, giving the person an image to look |
| keywords to content. Many forget about images, | | | | at, before sending them to the site. |
| thinking only textually when considering the | | | | Note: Be aware that there are image-based |
| Search Engine Optimization process. | | | | robots that can hit your site. Their purpose may |
| Image to Keyword Marriage | | | | be to scrape your site of images, and while doing |
| When you think of images and websites- you | | | | so, steal your bandwidth. If you find a strange |
| may assume as many that the purpose of an | | | | robot hitting your site, it is always wise to do a |
| image is to add a little aesthetic beauty to your | | | | Google search on the robot in question. If the |
| site. It can and it does, but images can do much | | | | robot has any scruples at all, they will have a |
| more. | | | | website stating who they are, what they are |
| Labeling your Images | | | | doing, and if their robots are not behaving to your |
| If you have a catalog or Ecommerce site it can | | | | liking, how you can stop their robot from visiting. |
| identity the product or service to the visitor and | | | | Accessibility |
| to the search engine. With the proper label the | | | | Here is another reason for identifying your |
| visitor can, of course, identify what the product | | | | images-through alt tags, captions and labels- it's |
| is, as can a search engine. But you should also | | | | called accessibility. It is not only the sighted that |
| identify your image within your coding as well. | | | | will view your site, but the unsighted as well. |
| With proper labeling of your images with the "alt" | | | | For example, some of the software used by blind |
| tag, along with a visual front-end caption you will | | | | individuals are, Text-to-speech software. And, the |
| give yourself a better chance of getting your | | | | text-to-speech software does utilize "alt tag" for |
| images/content indexed by the search engines. | | | | images, as well as properly named links. So, if |
| Thumbnails | | | | you're not utilizing the alt tag, you're missing out |
| If you do have a lot of pictures, it is also wise to | | | | on a ready market. |
| use thumbnails where possible. This will help to | | | | To conclude, images can be asset to your site, |
| speed up your load time, for those with slower | | | | not only giving you the aesthetic look that you |
| Internet connections. On the Internet, people | | | | want, but also helping you to reach a large visitor |
| seem to be a little more in a hurry-and will not | | | | base, and just as importantly, making your image |
| hesitate to click the mouse to move on to | | | | site search engine friendly. |
| another site. | | | | |