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.
Icon Alt description
-
How effective is to add alt tags to icons?
-
Adding alt tags to icons is highly effective for several reasons, making it a worthwhile practice for any website or application developer. Here's why:
Accessibility: Screen readers need them, users love them.
SEO: Search engines can see them, rankings go up.
User Experience: Clarity & context lead to happier users.But remember: Keep it concise, describe function, avoid generic terms
-
@Suvidit-Academy said in Icon Alt description:
Adding alt tags to icons is very effective for improving accessibility and SEO.
-
Accessibility: Alt tags provide a textual description of an image for people who are unable to see it, such as users with visual impairments or those who are using a screen reader. By adding alt tags to icons, you can ensure that these users can still understand the purpose of the icon and interact with your website or app.
-
SEO: Alt tags can also help improve your website's SEO. When Google and other search engines crawl your website, they look at the alt text of your images to help understand the content of your pages. By using relevant and descriptive alt text, you can help Google better understand your pages and rank them higher in search results.
Here are a few tips for writing effective alt tags for icons:
- Be descriptive: The alt text should accurately describe the icon and its purpose. Avoid using vague or generic terms like "image" or "graphic."
- Be specific: The alt text should be as specific as possible. For example, instead of saying "heart icon," you could say "red heart icon with a white outline."
- Add context: The alt text should provide context about the icon's surrounding content. For example, if the icon is next to a text link that says "Sign up," the alt text could say "Sign up icon."
- Keep it short: The alt text should be no more than 125 characters long.
Warm Regards
Rahul Gupta
Suvidit Academy
Very good, these are the SEO experiences that I lack. -
-
@Asmi-Ta
alt tags - Should be utilized on any given opportunity to take advantage of keyphrase integration which will enhance local SEO and contribute to a wider scale of search results.images - are the primary targets of alt tags; However, any image file that can display an alt tag should be enhanced by a description from that tag incase a viewers browser doesn't display the image.
title tag - An elaborated tactic is that a title tag can also be integrated with an image alt tag to further create information and boost SEO scores.
Any image files such as: .jpg, .png, .webp, .tiff, .gif, .ico, etc. these rules for alt and title tags would apply.
SEO - most apps and programs used to give search engine optimization administration will penalize you if you don't use an alt tag on an image. Use every opportunity you can to integrate descriptive text that can be manipulated for key word or keyphrase contribution and enhancement.
-
@Asmi-Ta said in Icon Alt description:
How effective is to add alt tags to icons?
Here are a few considerations for adding alt tags to icons:
-
Decorative Icons: If an icon is purely decorative and does not convey essential information, it's best to omit the alt tag or use an empty alt attribute (alt=""). This informs screen readers that the icon is not meaningful content.
-
Functional Icons: Icons that serve as interactive elements (e.g., buttons or links) should have appropriate text labels or be part of a larger interface with clear text instructions. In such cases, the text label or surrounding content should convey the icon's purpose.
-
Screen Reader Compatibility: Some screen readers may interpret alt text on icons, which can be confusing to users if the alt text does not provide meaningful information. Therefore, it's crucial to use alt text judiciously for icons and ensure that it enhances, rather than hinders, the user experience.
-
SEO: Alt tags are more relevant for images when it comes to SEO, as they help search engines understand the content of images and improve the discoverability of web pages in image search results. Icons, being small and often part of larger designs, do not typically have the same impact on SEO.
-
-
@Asmi-Ta
adding alt tags to icons is an effective practice for enhancing accessibility, improving SEO, and providing a better user experience. It's an essential step in making your digital content more inclusive and compliant with accessibility standards. -
The "Icon Alt description" refers to a text description that is associated with an icon on a website or application. This description is intended to provide a textual representation of the icon's content or functionality for individuals who may be using screen readers or other assistive technologies. It helps visually impaired users understand the purpose or meaning of the icon when they can't see it visually. Providing meaningful and accurate icon alt descriptions contributes to a more inclusive and accessible user experience on digital platforms. . Atlantic immigration pilot program application form
-
Adding alt tags to icons can be highly effective for improving the accessibility and usability of a website or application. Alt tags, short for "alternative text," serve as descriptive labels for images, including icons. Here are some key reasons why adding alt tags to icons is effective:
Accessibility: Alt tags are essential for individuals with visual impairments who rely on screen readers to navigate websites and apps. When icons have descriptive alt text, screen readers can convey the meaning and function of the icons, making the content more accessible to everyone.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Search engines use alt tags to understand the content of images, including icons. Properly optimized alt tags can improve your website's SEO by providing search engines with relevant information about the images, potentially boosting your site's visibility in search results.
Clarity and Understanding: Icons are often used to represent actions or features, and their meaning may not always be immediately obvious. Alt tags provide additional context, making it easier for all users, including those with cognitive disabilities, to understand the purpose of the icons.
Error Handling: In cases where an icon fails to load or is broken, the alt text can serve as a fallback, informing users about the missing element and what it represents. This prevents confusion and helps users navigate the content effectively.
Compliance with Web Standards: Many web accessibility guidelines and standards, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), require the use of alt text for non-text content like icons. Compliance with these standards is essential for ensuring equal access to digital content.
Adding alt tags to icons is a best practice for web and app development. It enhances accessibility, aids in SEO, improves user comprehension, handles errors gracefully, and helps meet compliance requirements. It's a relatively simple yet effective way to make digital content more inclusive and user-friendly.
Warm Regards,
Salman -
The "Icon Alt description" refers to a text description that is associated with an icon on a website or application. This description is intended to provide a textual representation of the icon's content or functionality for individuals who may be using screen readers or other assistive technologies. It helps visually impaired users understand the purpose or meaning of the icon when they can't see it visually. Providing meaningful and accurate icon alt descriptions contributes to a more inclusive and accessible user experience on digital platforms.
-
Adding alt tags to icons is very effective for improving accessibility and SEO.
-
Accessibility: Alt tags provide a textual description of an image for people who are unable to see it, such as users with visual impairments or those who are using a screen reader. By adding alt tags to icons, you can ensure that these users can still understand the purpose of the icon and interact with your website or app.
-
SEO: Alt tags can also help improve your website's SEO. When Google and other search engines crawl your website, they look at the alt text of your images to help understand the content of your pages. By using relevant and descriptive alt text, you can help Google better understand your pages and rank them higher in search results.
Here are a few tips for writing effective alt tags for icons:
- Be descriptive: The alt text should accurately describe the icon and its purpose. Avoid using vague or generic terms like "image" or "graphic."
- Be specific: The alt text should be as specific as possible. For example, instead of saying "heart icon," you could say "red heart icon with a white outline."
- Add context: The alt text should provide context about the icon's surrounding content. For example, if the icon is next to a text link that says "Sign up," the alt text could say "Sign up icon."
- Keep it short: The alt text should be no more than 125 characters long.
Warm Regards
Rahul Gupta
Suvidit Academy -
Got a burning SEO question?
Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.
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
-
I have updated title 4 days ago but still still showing old title and description on Google serps, How to resolve it?
I have updated the title tag but not showing, Please have look at the view source for this website- https://m.yolobus.in/ I want to show this title and description- <title>Online Bus Ticket Booking | YoloBus India</title> But showing the wrong title and description on google SERP- Title - YoloBus :: Home Description - Delhi Lucknow; Lucknow Delhi; Delhi Gorakhpur; Varanasi Lucknow; Gorakhpur Delhi; Delhi Delhi; Bangalore Bangalore; Manali Manali; Chennai Chennai 7mHsdmu
On-Page Optimization | | AnkitS.19900 -
Product Descriptions (SEO)
So I would like a few opinions. How long should a product description be? Enough to get the point across? 100 words? 800 words? Over detailed? Any advice would be appreciated.
On-Page Optimization | | mattl990 -
Product content length & links within product description
Hello, I have questions regarding content length and links within descriptions. With our ecommerce site, we have thousands of products, each with a unique description. In the product description, I have links to the parent category and grandparent category (if it has one) in the main product text which is generally about 175 words. Then I have a last paragraph that's about 75 words that includes links to our main homepage and our main product catalogue page. Is the content length long enough? I used to use text that was 500 words, and shortening it I still rank when launching new products, so I don't think an increase in text length will have any additional benefit. I do see conflicting information when I do searches, with some people recommending a minimum of 300 words and some saying to try and go a 1000 for category pages. In regards to the links, I noticed a competitor has stopped following this format, so I'm unsure if I should keep going too. Is it too many links to have each of the products link back to the main catalogue and homepage? Is it good to have links with anchor text to the categories a product is in? There are breadcrumbs on the page with these links already. There are already have heaps of links on our pages (footer, and a right sidebar with image links to relevant categories), so my pages do get flagged for too many links. Thanks!
On-Page Optimization | | JustinBSLW0 -
Background Images and ALT text
We pretty much exclusively use background images for our sites. How do I add in alt text? I tried a Google search for this issue and the best answer I could find was "Use the 'title' tag in the containing div", but that was from 2010. Is there a better way to do it? And no, we're not going to switch to using standard images, because background images are way more slick for UX.
On-Page Optimization | | MichaelGregory0 -
URL Domain Used in Meta Description
Today I was asked if using a domain url in your meta description can have a negative impact on your website. This description includes a list of the homepage url, but directs visitors to a different internal page of the website. My concern fell with directing visitors to a different page of the site, but promoting the homepage in the description/snippet. With Penguin 2.1 release on the 4th, I'm very cautious of my links/urls. What are your thoughts behind this? What are the possible, if any negative impacts this could have on a site? This URL does have a brand name as so the Title.
On-Page Optimization | | flcity150 -
Missing meta descriptions on indexed pages, portfolio, tags, author and archive pages. I am using SEO all in one, any advice?
I am having a few problems that I can't seem to work out.....I am fairly new to this and can't seem to work out the following: Any help would be greatly appreciated 🙂 1. I am missing alot of meta description tags. I have installed "All in One SEO" but there seems to be no options to add meta descriptions in portfolio posts. I have also written meta descriptions for 'tags' and whilst I can see them in WP they don't seem to be activated. 2. The blog has pages indexed by WP- called Part 2 (/page/2), Part 3 (/page/3) etc. How do I solve this issue of meta descriptions and indexed pages? 3. There is also a page for myself, the author, that has multiple indexes for all the blog posts I have written, and I can't edit these archives to add meta descriptions. This also applies to the month archives for the blog. 4. Also, SEOmoz tells me that I have too many links on my blog page (also indexed) and their consequent tags. This also applies to the author pages (myself ). How do I fix this? Thanks for your help 🙂 Regards Nadia
On-Page Optimization | | PHDAustralia680 -
Does keyword at the very front of meta description have impact?
I know that it is important to have your primary keyword target as the first word or two words of your title tag. But what about your meta description tag? does it matter where they keyword is in the description tag? I see a lot of other sites stuffing their keywords right at the front of the description tag and it looks somewhat unnatural. What's your take? do you put the primary keyword as the first word or two words of your description tag?
On-Page Optimization | | adriandg0 -
Is there an SEO penalty for text that appears only in a pop-up box when you hover the mouse over an icon?
A client of mine wants to streamline the look of his web pages, taking some of the visible body copy and putting it into boxes that pop up when you hover the mouse over an icon. My understanding is that search engines will index this pop-up text. However, do they penalize pages that have text in pop-up boxes out of concern that those pages are spammy? In this case, the text and the page are perfectly legitimate e-commerce pages. Thanks for any insights you can offer.
On-Page Optimization | | jimmartin_zoho.com0