does having text in the alt tag of an image help in SEO efforts?

[kads]

Some of my web pages will be "image heavy" and I want to get maximum SEO benefit from that.

So will adding text in the alt tag of an image help in the SEO efforts, or might it be seen as spammy? My text won't be laden with spammy keywords etc. They will just describe the images in question.

Thanks in advance

[Philosopher]

There's nothing spammy about that. That is what the alt attribute was designed for. You should always use descriptive alt text for significant images on a page. In fact not doing so, could cause you issues with visually disabled people.

[buckworks]

Well-written ALT attributes certainly won't hurt, but don't expect them to carry a lot of weight for SEO. Too many people have abused them.

Write your ALT attributes so they'd make good sense to users, and let spiders make of them whatever they will. Keep them brief but informative, so they'd be useful to a user accessing your page with an audible browser reader, or surfing with images turned off.

If they come across well in those contexts, no one could call them spammy.

[kads]

thank you for the replies. the information is extremely helpful.

regards

[Essex_boy]

Personally I always use them, they may not have much of an effect on the SEO i.e wont boost the sites ranks in themselves, although I do suspect it helps over all as the site is seen as being very well crafted.

[pageoneresults]

In many instances, they are mandatory.

Browse your site with images turned off. That should give you a clear "picture" of why the alt attribute is of importance. Did you say SEO? If you are describing the image appropriately and with brevity, everything else will come naturally.

Browse an ecommerce site with images turned off. Does it work? Ask Target. ;)

Some of my web pages will be "image heavy" and I want to get maximum SEO benefit from that.

That concerns me. :)

Image heavy may affect the user experience to the point where it has an impact on the page performance. Unless of course it is a page that is of a "gallery" nature or fits the "model" of image heavy whatever that may be. I'd be more concerned about the user experience. I'd surely browse that page with images turned off to see and/or hear what the page says. If it doesn't make sense, if those alt attributes are not congruent with the surrounding text, then you may need to go back and rethink your strategies.

In some instances you may treat those alt attributes like titles and use proper case. In other instances you may have a brief 5-9 word sentence describing the image. If it is a Buy Now button then the alt attribute will read alt="Buy Now" nothing more, nothing less.

If the image is linked, you use the alt attribute to describe the image and then you use the title attribute on the a href to describe the destination of the link. They scratch each others backs. :)