Search Engine Optimization ( SEO )

[sinucello]

Hi,
I just checked my forum in Google Webmaster Tools and noticed a lot of pages with "double titles". This is caused by media uploaded to the gallery.

Example: user creates a thread titled "onion soup" and then uploads an image with the same name to the gallery. This leads to 2 pages with the HTML-title "onion soup | myCommunity" being created. One is the thread and one is the media-view.

This made me think about how the gallery could be improved regarding SEO. I think it would be a good idea if you could add a prefix in the gallery options which will be added in the HTML title/description. Or even better if you could add a prefix to every category.

This way the title of the image could be "recipe image for onion soup" and in another category the prefix would be "fun pics".

Sometimes it might even make sense to allow an override of the HTML title and description for better SEO.

The same goes for the alt-Text. Take this image for example:
https://xenforo.com/community/media/me.49/

In most cases it doesn`t make sense to take the title. This is neither good for SEO nor accessibility. A proper alt-text would be something like "image of some actor who aims at the viewer with a handgun".

What do you think about my ideas?

Thank you - all the best,
Sacha

 

[sinucello]

Hi,
as this post has been moved from Q&A to suggestions I`ll structure it some more:

Suggestions for SEO optimization of the XMG:

1. add a prefix option for the HTML title of a media item. This prefix can be set generally or per category. If you don`t set a prefix for a category, the general prefix will be used
2. add a new alt-text override field to every media item. If you leave this field blank, the description field will be used (if there`s no description, the title will be used)
3. add the same override fields for the HTML title and the meta-description field so a mod or admin can optimize media items for SEO without changing the text entered by the user
4. use rich snippets / schema.org markup for media items to further enhance SEO:
   Google Video Rich Snippet
   schema.org definition of an image object
   schema.org photograph object

all the best,
Sacha

 

[jauburn]

A proper alt-text would be something like "image of some actor who aims at the viewer with a handgun".

I can't imagine users bothering to enter such alt-text. Can you?

I wouldn't want to, and I'm admin.

 

[sinucello]

I can't imagine users bothering to enter such alt-text. Can you?

of course. That`s something mods, admins or other experts would do. I don`t expect my users to care about SEO. But I do. Very much indeed as my forum is also financed by ads.
So let our users have fun, upload their images and enter the title and description they like. But then someone with SEO knowledge should be able to enter excellent and relevant text into the override fields. The forum users won`t notice it but Google and those looking for the keywords/content I optimize for will, come to my site, find what they are looking for, click on my ads and everbody is happy.

I wouldn't want to, and I'm admin.

it was back in 2002 when I heard the word accessibility for the first time. I met some blind and visually impaired people and learned that you can make their lives a lot easier with those little optimizations. So yes I understand that you wouldn`t want to enter good alt-texts, I didn`t care about that either some years ago but it`s never too late to learn. And if you just don`t care about those people:
https://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en#hl=en&q=alt+text+seo

 

[jauburn]

Very much indeed as my forum is also financed by ads.

I'm sorry to hear that. It's a frustrating road to go down.

and enter the title and description they like

No user will "like" to do these things, I contend.

someone with SEO knowledge should be able to enter excellent and relevant text into the override fields

Who? Do you have time to do this? If so, I suggest you have too much time. I'm not being condescending, really. I've done the whole admin thing. If you find yourself with time, as admin, to enter alt-text descriptions for things that your users upload, you have much bigger things to worry about, IMO.

 

[sinucello]

I'm sorry to hear that. It's a frustrating road to go down.

why do you think this is frustrating?

Who? Do you have time to do this? If so, I suggest you have too much time. I'm not being condescending, really. I've done the whole admin thing. If you find yourself with time, as admin, to enter alt-text descriptions for things that your users upload, you have much bigger things to worry about, IMO.

we all invest our time into things we consider being worth it. Alt-text are worth it for me because they make content accessible and improve my revenue.