In an effort to improve the relevance of search engine results, the major search engines (Google, Yahoo! and MSN) have downgraded the importance of ALT text when determining a page's ranking. This development is similar to the evolution of the META Keyword tag, which has also lost some of its weight in search engine optimization over the years.

SEO expert Jerry West conducted research to bring this information to light. For a detailed description of his testing setup, read Robin Nobles' article on the topic.

Does this mean that you no longer need to use ALT text for the images on your web pages? No, it simply means that using the ALT text as an area to stuff keywords is not really going to help optimize your web page. It's best to use the ALT text the way the tag was originally intended, with your visitors in mind.

The ALT text is one of the primary ways people with disabilities access the content of your images. Guidelines for the proper use of ALT text is outlined by the Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The guidelines state that "A text equivalent for every non-text element shall be provided (e.g., via 'alt', 'longdesc', or in element content)." Describe the image in a way that naturally enhances what the visitor is seeing, and try to include your keywords in context.

Creating complementary ALT text for your images will improve your visitor's overall experience, and that can affect your sales as much as a well optimized page can.

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