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However, I was curious if any of you have heard any good (or bad) about success using Hidden DIV Tags (Sample Below) to ensure that we still have text on the main page, but can still retain the image-based main page. I don't know if the search engines would consider this as hidden text and totally ignore it, or if it is a viable way to keep my client happy with their site, but also get them a high ranking on the engines. I've included a sample below of the DIV tag that I was thinking of using:
<DIV ID="HiddenDiv">
<H2>Company Name</H2><BR>
Our company specializes in online resume management.
<UL>
<LI>Save hundreds of hours a month.</LI>
<LI>Work from anywhere.</LI>
</UL>
</DIV>
<DIV ID="VisibleDiv">
Although I'm not up on using hidden div tags I'm sure someone will be along to advise you.
However, using the title attribute will optimize to the same effect and google loves titles.
Example <img scr="some.gif" title="keyword or phrase here">
I experimented not to long ago with this and found that google prefers "title" over "alt".
In addition, I also repeated the keyword phrase on all images (25 slices in total) and since there was no visible text on the page google used the title as the description. Although somewhat unattractive (e.g. -
Site Title
Description: keyword phrase about whatever keyword phrase about whatever keyword phrase about whatever keyword phrase about whatever
Ranking was exceptional - considering it was a 1 page orphan.
Recommend whatever method you use develop coherent phrases with keyword phrases as part of the overall statement.
title attribute in tables works as well <tr title="keyword phrase">
Hope this helps!
Rod
I have used several hidden divs (hidden through external style sheet) in the past and all of them were spidered without any trouble.
What were you considering, hiding the text with the same background colour, placing it behind the image div, placing it off the page....what? :)
Either way, it would be easily noticable to the trained eye, and may trigger some kind of penalty.....after all if anything is spam then this would be ;) I understand the situation you are in though and it's worth looking for a compromise.
Alongside the above suggestion, you may want to consider things like cloaking (use the site search [searchengineworld.com] for more info on that (im not clued up on it but i believe it could be helpful.
I am also playing with divs. Using absolute positioning I hope to put the "meat content" to the top of the page.........maybe useful in this instance.
As long as it doesn't look spammy you should be OK.
I used this technique on some sites with success, but have now removed all the hidden divs and gone 'straight'.
I offer my customers the option of fixing the pages so that they have legitimate text content, or going the slightly more risky way with hidden divs/cloaking whatever. If they choose the riskier option I need a written disclaimer from them.
So far they always go for the safe fix option.
A question, do the keywords and titles have to correspond to that particular image exactly ? and why would you title a table ?
Search engine spiders, crawler etc. have no understanding of the image content so the bottom line becomes the relevence to the visitor.
Example: a 100 x 1 pixel section separator link with no link.
<img src="spacer.gif" title="keyword or theme of the page">
this is a visual thing that serve no real value to the visitor other than separating content sections.
The likelihood that a visitor will scrutinize the reason you call this a blue widget in limited, therefore it has greater value for optimizing the page theme.
Example: <a href="blue_widget.html" title="blue widget"><img src="blue_widget.gif" alt="find blue widgets"></a>
The title attribute is used in the link and alt tag use in image and in this case should reflect the content on the other page.
The image alt tag takes precedence over the link title and the browser will display the alt tag. Personally I refrain from using title all the time since most search engine only reference alt tags even though title is a valid attribute.
Any image that has distinct value to the visitor I personally define it exactly the reason it was placed on the page "for the visitor" since the visitor really doesn't care about your keyword phrase.
Lastly - I wouldn't tread into something like
<img src="image.gif" alt="keyword phrase" title="keyword phrase">
As this reflects exactly what spam is "keyword stacking".
The goal of optimization is to get your page in front of the visitor who wants, not getting to #1.
Spam can easily cheat it's way to first place but in doing so usually robs the visitor at the same time.
[edited by: fathom at 2:00 am (utc) on July 10, 2002]
The original question was about a page with all images.
If tables are used they tend to divide your page into sections. What is each section about?
Try and visualize how a blind person would be able to navigate a web page using a text based audio convertor if only images and keywords were used.
Take a look at Yahoo's sponsored matches for <tr title=""> they only needed to paid $10,000 for this!
[search.yahoo.com...]
You mention the use of alt and title tags, and say that the browser shows preference for the alt tag.
Is it advisable to use both, or for SEO will it be acceptable to just use the title tag (as in your example - <img scr="some.gif" title="keyword or phrase here"> ) ?
If a link is associated use title in link and alt in image.
NOTE: title add more weight with Google over alt, and there are many examples noted here in the forum.
However, alt is always defined by other search engines as being supported with no reference to title attribute, therefore it is ill advised to use title exclusively on everything unless Google is your only concern.
