Title tag, Alt tag, or use Both on images?

[fctoma]

I'd like to know what other SEO's are using for their image and on-page optimization. Alt tags, Title tags, or do you use both?

Since FF and a few other browsers do not use the alt tag, but use the title tag, what's better? Not sure if the new FF 3.0 uses alt tags, would like to know since I haven't dug into it yet.

Just curious. I've been testing out all three ways to do this but would like to know what others are doing.

TGIF! Enjoy!

[Big Juice]

For me it is easy... use everything the guidelines say you can use

[cbosleeds]

Personally I use the alt tag for images and if I'm wrapping it in a link then I may use the title tag as well if I'm being fastidious.

The distinction here though is between what browsers pick up and what matters to the search engines - in the img tag search engines only care about the alt attribute. I'm not even sure if using the title attribute in there is valid html but I suspect not. FF is definitely funny with alt, but it does pick it up some of the time from memory.

[wige]

By the standard, text that should be displayed on mouseover should be in the title attribute, and text that should be displayed when the image is not available, or which should be shown on non-visual browsers, belongs in the alt attribute. However, Internet Explorer (and then most other browsers) does the opposite, displaying what is in the alt attribute on mouseover. Firefox broke this trend with version 2 (if I recall correctly) as they moved to be more standards compliant. Now, browsers may use either attribute. Personally, I use both on my sites, where appropriate. However, when doing so, I put identical text in both attributes, to avoid the search engines red flagging the page.

[Webnauts]

I use both alt and title tags for images.

[watto]

I also use both tags.........

[Webnauts]

Originally Posted by watto

I also use both tags.........

Since when Peter?

[cbosleeds]

Originally Posted by wige

By the standard, text that should be displayed on mouseover should be in the title attribute, and text that should be displayed when the image is not available, or which should be shown on non-visual browsers, belongs in the alt attribute. However, Internet Explorer (and then most other browsers) does the opposite, displaying what is in the alt attribute on mouseover. Firefox broke this trend with version 2 (if I recall correctly) as they moved to be more standards compliant. Now, browsers may use either attribute. Personally, I use both on my sites, where appropriate. However, when doing so, I put identical text in both attributes, to avoid the search engines red flagging the page.

Thanks Wige - I hadn't covered the onmouseover scenario. I also hadn't considered any implications to using different text in alt and title. Historically, I've sometimes used the same text and sometimes used slightly different text, but again this would be for an img wrapped in a link, rather than in a img tag on its own or one depending on an onclick event, so I would assume that I'm not taking any risks here.

[astro]

Originally Posted by Webnauts

I use both alt and title tags for images.

Is it out of order to ask for a link so I can see the source code for alt and title tags attached to an image?

/astro

[deepsand]

HTML Tip: Using ALT And TITLE Attributes

[carol]

Originally Posted by wige

I use both on my sites, where appropriate. However, when doing so, I put identical text in both attributes, to avoid the search engines red flagging the page.

Thanks Wige - to date I've only used the alt tag, but you've presented a good hedge in using both. I'm certainly going to do that from now on!

[grishamist]

I used both of the tags. It's appropriate to use alt tag only but it's not illegal to use both.

[wige]

The one concern I generally have with the use of both tags is that it might cause a red flag for spamminess - the search engine might see both tags being used and mistake it for keyword stuffing, which is why I try to make sure I use the same text in both attributes. The search engines seem to be aware that Internet Explorer and Firefox have diametrically opposed implementations, and do take that into consideration. However, abusing this could cause red flags. By using the same text in both attributes, it should tip of the engines, hopefully, to the fact that you are trying to accomodate both browsers.