GhostBlogging.net

Image via WikipediaWe love images.  In fact, the less we have to read - the better!  Why do you think reality TV is so popular and has been for years now.  It’s easier to watch someone else make decisions and think than it is to do it yourself..

In thinking of using images on the Internet, you have to be careful.  How much is too much?  Is there adequate content on the page so that search engines know what you’re talking about?  Or are the pictures taking up to much room?

The Upsides

Images are nice because they convey a lot of meaning.  You’ve heard the expression, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”  Well, as long as you aren’t a search engine, that’s true!  User’s love images (especially when they are hi-rez and expertly shot).

The Downsides

Google and other search engines can’t interpret images.  Meaning, they can’t figure out what the image is, why you put it there, or what it pertains to.  So basically, it only knows that you are showing a jpg or a gif file on your page.

The Fix

As long as you use images sparingly, and make sure that you use a lot of text on pages, the fix is simple - use image alt tags.

The following is an image call and an alt tag:

<img src=“http://ghostblogging.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/twitter-image.JPG” 

	class=“right” alt=“Twitter T-shirt” /></p>

Notice, the image is named Twitterimg.jpg.  That’s a nice descriptor for Google to look at.  Also, the alt tag tells exactly what the image is - Twitter T-Shirt.  So now, search engines have an idea of what the image is.  And it will appear in Google images as well!  A nice traffic booster!

Don’t Be Afraid

Don’t be afraid to use images!  Images are good things.  They keep readers entertained and coming back.  And if used correctly, they can help ranking rather than hinder them!