<h1> tags and gifs

[typophile]

If I am using gifs for certain headings and I place them in an <h1> tag with alt text will that alt text be indexed as the heading of that section?

[ggrot]

I doubt it, but it might be worth trying.

[tedster]

While you're at it, might as well add a TITLE attribute to the image tag.

I agree that it probably won't get you the clout that text would, but if you gotta use an image for a heading, pull out all the stops.

[Travoli]

interesting question, has anyone had any success with this same method? Well, that is, anyone who wants to spill the secret?
hehe

[alexjc]

tedster: i think that's a bit far, and would probably count as spam ;)

<h1><img src="blah" alt="my header"></h1>

In Opera, with images disabled, 'my header' renders with the style of h1. I'm personally hoping that SE's do something similar!

It's pretty easy business to extract the text, and treat is as a header. My guess is the good search engines are starting to actually parse the pages (with tehoma talking about context), rather than just scan for tags and keywords. Which means that this trick would work.

Fingers crossed.

[Brett_Tabke]

<h1><img src="blah" alt="my header"></h1>

A search engine will see and index nothing there other than a stock alt tag. (I've played with every variation of that on earth). Tedster is right Alex, the title tag is your friend:

<h1><img src="blah" alt="my header" title="my keyword one a two and a three"></h1>

The title tag is getting more weight than the alt tag these days. Alta is the only I know that is really giving it anything at all. Google will use alt's when all else fails, but I don't think they work into the algo at all (counter opinions?).

[Travoli]

Good call Brett. So I have a question then, if the alt and title attributes are the same phrases, does that raise the KW density of the page? And is this bad considering they are right next to each other?

[alexjc]

Sorry tedster, i got the wrong end of the stick... I thought you ment something like:

<h1><img src="blah" alt="<title>my header</title>"></h1>

Interesting misunderstanding though, i wonder what results that would get.

[Slade]

<h1><img src="blah" alt="<title>my header</title>"></h1>

I would think that would be considered spam.

Isn't that like purposefully putting in extra tags just to shove them down the spider's throat?