What is Image Title in SEO?
Image title refers to the title attribute used inside the <img> HTML tag. It provides additional information about the image, which typically appears as a tooltip when users hover their mouse over the image.
While the image title isn’t a major ranking factor like alt text or image file names, it still plays a role in enhancing user experience, offering context, and contributing to on-page optimization when used properly.
Key Aspects of Image Titles in SEO
1. User Hover Tooltip
When a visitor hovers over an image, the title attribute text appears as a tooltip. This helps offer brief descriptions or clarifications without cluttering the UI.
Example:
Hovering over an image of a sneaker might display: “Lightweight red running shoes for marathon training”
2. Supplemental (Not Primary) for SEO
Search engines do not rely heavily on image titles for ranking or understanding image content. Instead, alt attributes and filenames hold more weight.
However, a well-crafted image title that aligns with the alt text and page content can offer additional semantic clues.
3. Improved Accessibility (Visually)
Although image titles are not used by screen readers (unlike alt text), they can still enhance visual accessibility for sighted users, particularly when tooltips help clarify or expand on the image’s meaning.
How to Add an Image Title (HTML Format)?
Here’s how a title is added to an image:
Breakdown:
src: The source of the image
alt: Describes the image for SEO and screen readers
title: Offers a hover-over tooltip for users
Optimized vs. Unoptimized Image Titles
| Type | HTML Code |
|---|---|
| Unoptimized | <img src=”shoes.jpg” alt=”shoes” title=”shoes”> |
| Optimized | <img src=”red-running-shoes.jpg” alt=”Red running shoes for marathon training” title=”Lightweight red running shoes designed for marathon training”> |
When to Use Image Titles?
When an image needs additional clarification that isn’t appropriate in alt text.
When providing tooltips for interactive or instructional images.
When enhancing user experience without altering the design.
When you want to add an SEO-friendly hint about the image without being spammy.
Final Thoughts on Image Titles in SEO
While image titles are not a primary ranking factor, they still matter. They add context, help users with hover-based tooltips, and support semantic clarity for search engines when used wisely.
Pro Tip: Focus first on alt attributes and descriptive filenames, but don’t overlook the bonus layer that a well-written image title can add—especially on image-heavy pages.
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