Research what Alt Tags and Title Tags are in HTML, and discuss how they improve SEO for your E-commerce website

Images assist to make your website more engaging and aesthetically attractive. However, if you don't optimize photos with alternative text (also known as "alt text" or "alt tags"), you'll be passing up an important chance to improve the user experience and accessibility of your site.

Alt tag:

               Martinez, M. (2018)

In HTML, alt tags are used to convey the content and context of pictures on a web page. When a media file fails to load or show properly, the alt tag displays within the picture container.   Furthermore, while crawling, indexing, and ranking your site, search engine bots utilize them to analyze the photos. They are an important component of online accessibility and Search Engine Optimization since they are used by both search engine crawlers and screen-reading software (SEO). (Morris, W. 2020)

Why are Alt tags used in images?

Some of the its uses are:

1. They improve web accessibility: Alt tags enable users access and appreciate your website's content even when they are using assistive technology or text-only browsers. When a person with a visual impairment visits your website, their screen reader reads the words on the page to them. When it comes across a picture, it will utilize the alt tag to describe it. (Morris, W. 2020)

2.They will boost your Search Engine Optimization: Image alt tags can make it easier for you to rank for the keywords you’re trying to target. Alt attributes offer a text-based alternative for translating images, and more specifically for incorporating relevant keywords. Textual descriptions that contain target keywords can increase your chances of ranking highly in image searches. (Morris, W. 2020)

Title tags:

A title tag is an HTML element that specifies the title of a web page. A page’s title tag is displayed as part of the search snippet in a search engine results page (SERP). It appears as the clickable headline for the search result and is important for user experience, SEO, and social sharing. The title tag of a web page is meant to be an accurate and concise description of a page's content. (Title tag ,2017) 

Why are title tags important?

1.Title tags in SERP's:

Your title tag determines your display title in SERPs (with a few exceptions) and is a search visitor's first experience with your site. Even if your page ranks well, a good title can be the make-or-break factor in determining whether or not someone clicks on your link. (Title tag ,2017) 

2.Title tag on web browsers:

When someone visits your page, the title tag is also displayed at the top of their web browser window and acts as a placeholder, especially when there are several browser tabs open. Unique and easily recognizable titles with important keywords near the front help ensure that people don't lose track of your content. (Title tag ,2017) 

How are they important for SEO?

Along with implementing image title and file naming best practices, including alt text ensures that all users and bots can understand your website content. Alt text offers you another opportunity to include your target keyword. With on-page keyword usage still pulling weight as a search engine ranking factor, it's in your best interest to create alt text that both describes the image and, if possible, includes a keyword or keyword phrase you're targeting.(Alt text ,2022)

Additionally if traffic from image search is a key part of your SEO strategy then giving Google the right information about your images is a good way to communicate topic relevance. You can do this by correctly using modern file formats, alt text, relevant file names and schema markup. (Alt text ,2022)

References:

Morris, W. (2020) What is an alt tag and how should you use it?, Elegant Themes Blog. Elegant Themes. Available at: https://www.elegantthemes.com/blog/wordpress/what-is-an-alt-tag-and-how-should-you-use-it (Accessed: 11 February 2023).

Title tag (2017) Moz. Available at: https://moz.com/learn/seo/title-tag (Accessed: 11 February 2023).

Alt text (2022) Moz. Available at: https://moz.com/learn/seo/alt-text (Accessed: 12 February 2023).

Martinez, M. (2018) What is an Alt Tag?, Volusion Ecommerce Blog | SMB Marketing, Design, & Strategy. Available at: https://www.volusion.com/blog/alt-tags/ (Accessed: 14 February 2023).