Most websites have graphics (i.e., images). Search engines cannot read any keywords or text that you may have embedded in your graphical menu or other images. Therefore, make sure you make use of ALT tags to describe your files.

This gives search engines more keywords to find you with and gives Web surfers who turn their graphics off something to read in place of your image. Note: Not all search engines will read the ALT tags, but for those that do, it can help.

You can add Alternate Text Messages or ALT tags by selecting your graphic in WebStudio, go to the Object menu and choose Properties, click the Graphic tab of the Properties dialog. At the bottom is the place to enter the Alternate Text.

If you have turned a text object into a graphic so you can use a non-web-friendly font, you should add the entire text of the text object to the graphic's Alternate Text Message. This way your visitors will see the graphic, the search engines will see the text.

On the Webstudio.com home page we've added Alternate Text Messages to all of the graphics. For example, one graphic has "Free Web Design Software Download!" Since "Web Design Software" is one of WebStudio's most popular search terms (keywords), adding it to the graphic's ALT tag adds one additional use of those important keywords on our home page. Check it out and check the other graphics as well, "Web Design Software" is everywhere.