Search Engine Optimisation

Over the years of being a freelance web designer, I’ve been developing my own processes for the business of designing websites. One of those processes has been compiling a list of tasks that need to be completed before launching a website, whether it be a new site or a redesign. This list is kept in a spreadsheet which I work through, ticking off each item after the client has given final sign off for the site to go live. I view it as my final quality control procedure and I usually find that the process will highlight a few of the ‘little things’ that I might have overlooked in general development. Usually nothing too major; more a case of ‘dotting all the Is and crossing all the Ts’.

More on Web design ‘pre-flight’ checklist

Which is better in links from the search engines’ point of view: plain text or images with an alt attribute that says the same thing? For example, is this:

<a href="">This is a link</a>

better than this?

<a href=""><img src="" alt="This is a link"/></a>

More on Which is better for search engines: plain text or alt attributes?