Re: Google and alt tags

Shongwe wrote:

I've recently finished a website and am thinking about SEO for the
first time and it's making my head fuzzy!

I used PhotoShop a lot to design my site, and spliced the resulting
'image' into lots of small images which I then saved as images+html
and exported to dreamweaver. The text/rollovers etc were added there.

I gave each of these small images (most of which appear across the
banner) an alt tag, thinking this was the thing to do.

Once the site was launched I tested it in those website that are
supposed to predict what your site will look like when it appears in
Google. It seems that Google, should it ever find my site (a whole
different story it seems) will feature the description as a row of
alt tags. If I remove the alt tags and test the page again, the
description is based on the opening lines of the text on my page,
which I'm happy with.

Is there a way of having alt tags on images that sequentially appear
before the main text, without having Google pull them into the
description? Or do I need to remove all the alt tags off all my pages?

www.shongwelookout.com First page has no alt tags, remaining pages
haven't yet been stripped.

On pages where the alt tags are the first SE readable bits of text, they're

going to appear first. and I'm afraid that your use of the alt tags is
probably regarded as stretching their use beyond the limits of legitimacy.

--
PeterMcC
If you feel that any of the above is incorrect,
inappropriate or offensive in any way,
please ignore it and accept my apologies.

I agree with you with regards to my use of alt tags. But I couldn't think of
another way to get alt text appearing over the images (given each image is
spliced) no matter where the cursor hovered.

And the reason why I sliced the images into smaller pieces, was to prevent a
direct competitor nicking them indiscriminately and using them on her site
(which she has managed to get on Google and I haven't yet got there).
Copyright statements had no effect.

Anyway, I happen to know that this individual can download an image, but
wouldn't know how to stitch them together again so I think I may have
stumped her..... but, how to manage the alt tags...?

What do you suggest? Is there a better way of dealing with either problem?



PeterMcC <peter (AT) mccourt (DOT) org.uk> wrote

Shongwe wrote:
I've recently finished a website and am thinking about SEO for the
first time and it's making my head fuzzy!

I used PhotoShop a lot to design my site, and spliced the resulting
'image' into lots of small images which I then saved as images+html
and exported to dreamweaver. The text/rollovers etc were added there.

I gave each of these small images (most of which appear across the
banner) an alt tag, thinking this was the thing to do.

Once the site was launched I tested it in those website that are
supposed to predict what your site will look like when it appears in
Google. It seems that Google, should it ever find my site (a whole
different story it seems) will feature the description as a row of
alt tags. If I remove the alt tags and test the page again, the
description is based on the opening lines of the text on my page,
which I'm happy with.

Is there a way of having alt tags on images that sequentially appear
before the main text, without having Google pull them into the
description? Or do I need to remove all the alt tags off all my pages?

www.shongwelookout.com First page has no alt tags, remaining pages
haven't yet been stripped.

On pages where the alt tags are the first SE readable bits of text,
they're
going to appear first. and I'm afraid that your use of the alt tags is
probably regarded as stretching their use beyond the limits of legitimacy.

--
PeterMcC
If you feel that any of the above is incorrect,
inappropriate or offensive in any way,
please ignore it and accept my apologies.

Shongwe wrote:

I agree with you with regards to my use of alt tags. But I couldn't
think of another way to get alt text appearing over the images (given
each image is spliced) no matter where the cursor hovered.

Use <title> for tooltips - that's what they're for. The tooltip function of
<alt> in some browsers isn't part of the spec.
--
PeterMcC
If you feel that any of the above is incorrect,
inappropriate or offensive in any way,
please ignore it and accept my apologies.

On Sat, 19 Jul 2003 12:25:15 +0100, "Shongwe"
<shongwe (AT) NONntlworldSPAM (DOT) com> wrote:

I agree with you with regards to my use of alt tags. But I couldn't think of
another way to get alt text appearing over the images (given each image is
spliced) no matter where the cursor hovered.

And the reason why I sliced the images into smaller pieces, was to prevent a
direct competitor nicking them indiscriminately and using them on her site
(which she has managed to get on Google and I haven't yet got there).
Copyright statements had no effect.

Anyway, I happen to know that this individual can download an image, but
wouldn't know how to stitch them together again so I think I may have
stumped her..... but, how to manage the alt tags...?

She doesn't have to. The browser does it for her. A little screen
capture, a little cropping and... voila! And it's just slightly
degraded for the journey.

Maybe you could figure out her IP and block her access. Just be
careful you're not also blocking potential customers as well.

Gazing into my crystal ball I observed "Shongwe"
<shongwe (AT) NONntlworldSPAM (DOT) com> writing in
news:E9vSa.1733$wN3.68542 (AT) newsfep1-win (DOT) server.ntli.net:

John A. <no.john (AT) spammers (DOT) virginiaquilter.allowed.com> wrote in message
news:6ugjhvk0kmtvvibgvvs24gqecfilmoud5v (AT) 4ax (DOT) com...
On Sat, 19 Jul 2003 12:25:15 +0100, "Shongwe"
shongwe (AT) NONntlworldSPAM (DOT) com> wrote:

snip

Anyway, I happen to know that this individual can download an image,
but wouldn't know how to stitch them together again so I think I may
have stumped her..... but, how to manage the alt tags...?

She doesn't have to. The browser does it for her. A little screen
capture, a little cropping and... voila! And it's just slightly
degraded for the journey.

Screen capture and cropping require know how. No doubt she'll figure it
out eventually and I'll have to think of something, but I know that for
now she's only just figured out right-clicking and shrinking the image
using the little square on the corner...

This might give her pause:
<div style="background-image:url(slice1.gif); width:100px; height:100px;
float:left"></div>
<div style="background-image:url(slice2.gif); height:100px; width:100px;
float:left"></div>

She won't see the little toolbar. Of course, anyone with half a brain can
get around this.

Maybe you could figure out her IP and block her access. Just be
careful you're not also blocking potential customers as well.

Now that's beyond my abilities!... might have to settle for a firm
chat!

IMHO not that great ... What if she goes to someone else's computer? She
could go to the neighbors.

If I were you, I would first write her a polite letter asking her to please
take the images down. If that does not work, make the letter a little
stronger and say that you are going to report her to her ISP. That might
give her pause. Then, if nothing happens, really report it. Report it to
the host, too. If you know what city she's in, and there is a Better
Business Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, etc., threaten reporting her to them
as well. People do not like being thought of as thieves, "Your President
is not a thief!" - with everything else Richard Nixon had to think about,
that seemed to be very important.


--
Adrienne Boswell
Please respond to the group so others can share
http://www.arbpen.com