Optimizing non-text components has always been overlooked in the field of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Hundreds of SEO guides out there always placed emphasis on optimizing text components of a webpage.
While it is not wrong by any means, the non-text components such as images, videos, and maybe audio files are having the same level of importance also.
As you may already know, Google and other search engines are doing a great job at understanding and interpreting text contents on web pages. But, contrary to that, they are yet to perfectly digest what a non-text content is all about.
While AI and Machine Learning are still in development, the possibilities of Google and other search engines to be able to understand non-text components completely is there.
But of course no one can wait, right? So, this is a pretty serious problem we’re having. In this article, we are going to talk about tips on optimizing the non-text components of a website.
Let’s get into it.
Adjust the Image’s File Name and Alternative Text
The first one we’re going to talk about is the image’s file name and alternative text. As a non-text component, the majority of users will definitely recognize what’s in the image. Whether it is merely a logo, images with decorative purposes, and so on.
Yes, the users will immediately understand what it is for, but for Google and other search engines? No, they do not. And in that case, we can help them to understand the image by manually adjusting two things; image file name and its alternative text.
Here’s why:
Search engines tend to pay attention to the file name and its alternative text in order to help themselves comprehend what the image is about. In other words, we have to make sure that they are crystal clear while also being keywords-oriented.
For example, we can write “how-to-be-seo-specialist” as the name for an image in an article which covers about SEO Specialist guide. As long as it include your targeted keyword, you’re good to go.
Notice that the main thing about writing the image’s file name is to use lowercases and hyphens as the space replacement.
Whereas for alternative text, it is essential that you have to describe the image as clearly as possible while keeping it concise and keyword-rich.
Write Caption or Descriptive Paragraph
Keep in mind that this second tip is not exclusively for image elements, but for any non-text components also. It is about writing captions or descriptive paragraphs.
While search engines can’t understand the non-text components, they are able to understand what is written on web pages. That being said, placing descriptive paragraphs or captions around the non-text component could be a game changer.
Here’s why:
Search engines do analyze the texts that’s in close proximity to the non-text components. In short, search engines are making assumptions that there are correlations between the two components.
So, by writing accurate descriptive paragraphs or captions around the non-text components, it would surely help search engines to understand what the non-text components are trying to convey. Hence, it’s optimized.
Include Audio Transcription
This third tip for optimizing non-text components is particularly for audio files only. Note that not all users are able to hear properly, whether it is due to age or it is a condition they’ve been living with since birth.
So, in order to make our web pages inclusive for them while also helping search engines to understand our non-text content is to include audio transcription. The concept is similar to the tip before this.
Audio transcription would be analyzed as correlated content with the audio file, therefore search engines would determine what it is about from what we’d write in the transcription.
Be sure to write it as accurately as possible.
Structured Data
This last tip is really the ultimate tip. Structured data is what SEO Specialists would thrive for in order to optimize their contents on a web page. So, what exactly is structured data?
Simply, structured data is just a way of describing our site to make it easier for search engines to read. The major difference between structured data and other tips earlier in this article is how it’s written.
Structured data doesn’t show up as plain texts describing our contents. Rather, it is a code, which is much much easier to digest for search engines. And with that, we would want to know about Schema.org as a ‘library’ consisting of a large collection of codes.
Read this article for further information about structured data.
For non-programmers, Schema.org is such a big help for it has provided us with code templates ready to use based on our necessities. In this context, it is nontext components such as images, videos, and audios.
Just go to Schema.org, scroll down until you find the right properties or elements to define your non-text components. Make sure to include as much information as you can for a better understanding by search engines.