Thumbnail-based navigation like YouTube Sidebar - they don't use ALT tag

[anthony-305442]

Notice on the YouTube sidebar, each video has a thumbnail and a title.

But, for the ALT tag, YouTube simply uses the word "thumbnail".

In the past, i was using a keyword phrase for my thumbnail ALT tag. I thought I was being clever. But is this superflous?

We note that the A tag on the YouTube items, encompasses the SPAN that is the video + title. Does Google associate the text of the title as valid "anchor text" despite the existance of other info in that span --- e.g. like View Count and the User Name of the video creator?

Thanks!

[anthony-305442]

well, i read a post that said that, the second link to a page has no anchor text value.

e.g. if the anchor text DOGS, links to pageX, and the anchor text DOG COLLARS links to pagex (further down), then only the first anchor text will be applied to the link vector.

So, on a typical YouTube style right nav bar, you have the thumbnail and the title clickable. Given that the title text would have no value, i simply made the thumbnail the only clickable element on the whole right nav bar assembly.

Good idea of bad idea?

Thanks!

[RyanKent]

I like to use ALT tags to add variations of keywords which are relevant to my page but my client may wish to otherwise avoid.

Someone recently shared their experience of working with a client who ran a retirement home. The client was determined to not use the phrase "retirement home" to refer to his own business. So his website can talk about "senior living home" and other phrases, but we recognize as SEOs "retirement home" is a very important phrase which needs to be associated with the site.

By using ALT tags we can work the phrase "retirement home" into the site. The description is accurate and helpful.

[EGOL]

But, for the ALT tag, YouTube simply uses the word "thumbnail".

lol... It is really hard to look down the microscope, every day, at every employee.

[AlanBleiweiss]

Google is one of the least SEO compliant companies online.  Sad, but true.  Worse, ALT attributes are first and foremost for screen-readers -devices that allow visually impaired people to understand what an image is about.

ALT attributes do have value in SEO - it's not massive, yet it doesn't hurt if you use them properly.