Alt Optimization:Text-navigation optimization

[seolearner]

Hi,
I'm talking about adding titles in the navigations. How helpful is it?? It is said it also helps in indexing of the site.
Some people believe that using different titles for different pages on the same link, helps.
For example: There is a site having top text-navigation named products, contact us, aboutus..etc.
I add "exclusive products" for products link as title on home page, is it advisiable to add "Beautiful products" as title for products link on another web page (say aboutus).

I hope I have made my point clear. Please let me know.

[JuniorOnline]

do you mean alt tags to text links?

[seolearner]

here this is what I mean:

Products

This is what i am speaking about. Is it fair to use it on Home page as above and.....
On lets say the other page is aboutus.htm and we use different title for the same page(product.htm) on aboutus.htm i.e.,
Products

[JuniorOnline]

As far as I am aware - using the title tags across ALL your text links could be considered as spamming - watch out from using title tag keywords that cannot be found in the body of your html.



Could someone confirm that what am saying is true?

thanks,
T

[seolearner]

Hey!! what is this?? you are asking or telling?!?!
This much I know we can use titles in anchors asadd but can we use titles for SAME link/anchor that comes on a different page.

I hope you got my point now.
Using titles for anchors is no spamming

[JuniorOnline]

I am sure I read an article about alt tags and titles in a link text. and they mentioned it was part of spamming... maybe am wrong.. thats why i was hoping someone from the experts would shed some light for both of us:)

[Faglork]

First: It is ALT attribute and NOT ALT "tag".

And to make it further clear: We are talking about the TITLE attribute and NOT the TITLE meta tag. Don't confuse this.

See
http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/struct/global.html
for explanations.

Having said that: By using the title attribute you can and should provide additional information about an element (not just a), where it is appropriate. As for links, WAI recommends:

Content developers should use the "title" attribute in accordance with the HTML 4.01 specification. For example, "title" should be used with links to provide information about the target of the link.

See http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10-HTML-TECHS/

So do not use it for keyword stuffing. Use it with your users in mind - title attributes are displayed by many browsers as a tooltip and can provide valuable information about a link. It can even help to bridge the gap between SEO and USABILITY: You can use a an informative link text containing keywords (if appropriate and making sense ...) and use the title attribute to explain what you get when clicking this link. Note that tooltip display is restricted to 64 characters (afaik).

See
http://www.netmechanic.com/news/vol5/usability_no7.htm
for further suggestions.

I have no reliable information whether the SEs do analyse title attributes - the opinions are mixed.

My personal opinion is that SEs should not analyse ALT attributes at all, but use the TITLE attributes. That way, ALT attributes would not be used anymore for KW stuffing and could return to their proper function: To improve navigability of the page when images can't be displayed.


faglork

[seolearner]

I agree and thank you for your suggestions. I also believe in the same ways as you do...that title is used from explanation point of view. Title attributes should be informative (from SE point of view it should be such that it should be informative as well boosts the site!!- a proper keyword).

Well when I was discussing the same with one of friends, the views were like we do wan to provide information 'true',but if we use different title attribute for the same link on every page, it will be better.
But I consider it to be a spam.
Do you agree with me...Faglork?!?
Anyone else with views regarding this

[Faglork]

Originally Posted by seolearner

Well when I was discussing the same with one of friends, the views were like we do wan to provide information 'true',but if we use different title attribute for the same link on every page, it will be better.
But I consider it to be a spam.
Do you agree with me...Faglork?!?
Anyone else with views regarding this

I would not consider it spam, but from a visitor's point of view, this may be confusing. If, on a given page, you NEED to link to the same target twice, you should use the same attributes and link texts. If you want to link form several different pages to the same target, attributes may differ, depending on what makes sense. For example, if you have a link to your "terms of service" on every page, do not change attributes and link texts. Permanently clicking on something that seems like new information and landing on the same old page will rather irate your visitors ...

I suggest you do not always see your site from an SE/SEO perspective. Write pages for your users FIRST. If it does not make any sense for your users or even confuses them, don't do it.

faglork

[SEOforGoogle]

Also, don't forget about the users who rely on text readers to view the web - this is where the title and alt attributes come in to play.

[JuniorOnline]

thanks a lot guys - this was really really helpful. it clarified things for me.

[seolearner]

SEOforGoogle what do you mean when you say "don't forget about the users who rely on text readers to view the web" exactly???

[seolearner]

What do all the SE Experts here believe..how important role does these attributes play for the text links...?

[seolearner]

I was asking that if we add KEYWORDS as Image's Alt atrribute, is it considered as spam process or it goes unnoticed, or it is of no use????

I think I may have not been able clear my point before so I have tried 'that' this time. I hope I get replies this time.