Tags on images

[ryanreed71]

I am an extreme novice when it comes to programing and computer lingo.

It is my understanding that in order for search engines to pick up images that I have on my site, tags must be placed before and after the key words describing the image.

My question is this. Do I need to place the tags on my pictures or does the software automatically place them someway. I know this is probably a stupid question to those who have been doing this sort of thing for a while, but I have to know.

If I am suppose to place a tag on my images is this how I do it? <img src="Labrador Retriever.jpeg" alt="Dogs for Sale, Puppies for Sale, AKC Breeds">

Do I write like that and place it as the name of my picture, then upload?

Thanks

[Mike-N-Tosh]

Yes and no.

I answer like that because the code syntax is correct you, have the image source (file name) and then you have the alt. This is correctly done, however since your alt tag doesn't actually match what the picture is, it could be detrimental to the search engine.

The original intention of the alt tag is for non-visual browsers (Universal Access). A non visual browser is usually used in combination with a text to speech reader, and reading the alt tag that you posted reads more like an advertisement (SPAM) then saying what the picture is. That's why it could be detrimental to a search engine.

The alt tag should be more along the lines of a text description of the picture. In your example, it would be more appropriate to have an alt tag like this: alt="Labrador Retriever picture".

-Mike

[ryanreed71]

1) Is that considered "spam" since it is describing the image that represents the category on my site.

2) I know I do not simply place that in the area of the pictures name and upload onto the category, because when I tried it says a file name cannot contain those type of characters, so where do the image tags go?

My site is Dog2Go.com if it helps to see what I am doing.

Thanks for your help.

P. S. Since my Dashboard says, "You are running v4.0.9 Hosted ", is that what I have instead of the v4.1? Does that change things?