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licom · #1 (**permalink**) 22nd July 2006, 10:17 PM

I have noticed several sites using spaces in image urls (read by the browsers as %20).
I am assuming this is a tactic to incorporating keywords to increase keyword density.
Is this a known SEO practice and if so, can anyone explain how it works? Advantages, disadvantages, etc?

Yaro · #2 (**permalink**) 23rd July 2006, 04:55 AM

Hi LongIsland.com,

My experience is that dashes " - " will do just as well regarding separating keywords for SEO purposes. I have not heard of any specific tactic using the "%20" to create spaces but in some cases it could be people creating websites using WYSIWYG editors and then typing in filenames with spaces. Some programs will substitute the spaces with "%20" to avoid causing any server errors.

I've read that it's worthwhile to include the "title=" attribute in images in which case you can include keywords with spaces there with no problems.

As with most SEO though, we can only speculate on all of this and get out there and try things out.

licom · #3 (**permalink**) 24th July 2006, 12:03 AM

Hi Yaro,

I understand that the alt tag is not recognized by Google. Is the title tag the same as the alt tag with search engines picking up either or?

Yaro · #4 (**permalink**) 24th July 2006, 01:07 AM

Hmm, you know last time I checked I thought the alt tag was definitely valuable for SEO, and the title tag within images doesn't hurt either. To be honest though this was what I had read in search engine forums and from SEO newsletters so I can't 100% confirm.

Personally I don't bother with title tags in images because it's too time consuming and not one of the 80/20 search techniques - better to focus on the linking structure and title tags in the <head> part of the website since that has a much greater impact on rankings.

Spend your time on the top 8 search engine techniques and you will do fine.

Blaine Moore · #5 (**permalink**) 24th July 2006, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Hmm, you know last time I checked I thought the alt tag was definitely valuable for SEO, and the title tag within images doesn't hurt either. To be honest though this was what I had read in search engine forums and from SEO newsletters so I can't 100% confirm.

Personally I don't bother with title tags in images because it's too time consuming and not one of the 80/20 search techniques - better to focus on the linking structure and title tags in the <head> part of the website since that has a much greater impact on rankings.

Spend your time on the top 8 search engine techniques and you will do fine.
[/b]

I do not worry about them from an SEO standpoint but I do put alt/title tags in where appropriate for accessibility reasons.

Yaro · #6 (**permalink**) 24th July 2006, 09:03 AM

Good point Blaine - the SEO hat shouldn't always be on and taking priority.

licom · #7 (**permalink**) 24th July 2006, 11:11 AM

Sorry but I have to put my search engine marketing cap back on to further address and inquire about this issue...

My original query asked about the use of spaces in image tags for strategic ranking. Upon additional investigation I found the use of style sheets that reference a subfolder that is strategically named with spaces to improve search engine placement. For instance http://www.thedomainname.com/the hidden keyword/thefilename.jpg

Since google is does not read the alt tags, but folder names are important and indexed this is a marketing tactic to improve SEO ranking in google. Somewhat of a guerilla marketing technique, but still within the boundaries of acceptable site design. Has anyone seen this practice in use or tested the value of it?

Blaine Moore · #8 (**permalink**) 24th July 2006, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Sorry but I have to put my search engine marketing cap back on to further address and inquire about this issue...

My original query asked about the use of spaces in image tags for strategic ranking. Upon additional investigation I found the use of style sheets that reference a subfolder that is strategically named with spaces to improve search engine placement. For instance http://www.thedomainname.com/the hidden keyword/thefilename.jpg

Since google is does not read the alt tags, but folder names are important and indexed this is a marketing tactic to improve SEO ranking in google. Somewhat of a guerilla marketing technique, but still within the boundaries of acceptable site design. Has anyone seen this practice in use or tested the value of it?
[/b]

I always use dashes instead of spaces, since the %20 in the URL annoys me. The reason I use dashes instead of underscores:

http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/dashes-vs-underscores/

JenSEM · #9 (**permalink**) 28th July 2006, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Since google is does not read the alt tags
[/b]

Hiya,

Just had to jump in on this discussion (being an SEO consultant, my search markeing cap is always on!). Google does read the image ALT tags, and the text you include in them can have an effect on your rankings. Here's a rather obscure example, but it proves the point:

Search Google for the term "artist's rendering of googlebot" (with or without quotes). You'll get my home page in the #1 spot - and the only time that phrase appears is in an image ALT tag on my home page.

Aitch · #10 (**permalink**) 29th July 2006, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Hiya,

Just had to jump in on this discussion (being an SEO consultant, my search markeing cap is always on!). Google does read the image ALT tags, and the text you include in them can have an effect on your rankings. Here's a rather obscure example, but it proves the point:

Search Google for the term "artist's rendering of googlebot" (with or without quotes). You'll get my home page in the #1 spot - and the only time that phrase appears is in an image ALT tag on my home page.
[/b]

Every little helps and adds to your overall optimisation. I think there is a kind of system of priority and the lesser optimisation techniques are ignored (or de-prioritised) only if there are better optimised pages competing. If you read enough stuff on the internet these days, it will appear that Google and the other SE's ignore just about anything and everything regarding page/site optimisation, which if true, would mean no pages would rank at all.

Aitch

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