Tooltips – Just One More Thing…

Also listed as link Titles, sometimes called Tooltips, this bit of text is entered into the link code, and shows up when you wave over the link. They are favored by web developers who create applications with tools, and have caught on for giving additional information about what is behind a link.

Do search engines pay attention to them? Who knows!

But search engines index human readable and human useful text. And tooltips fall into that category. This speculation has, of course, lead some people to abuse them – so we can assume that if search engines do in fact pay attention to them, that the same rules apply as apply to other types of coding.

Consider whether using them will add value to your site for the visitor. If it won’t, then don’t bother. If it will, then consider carefully how to use them to benefit the site user.

Overall, they are pretty low on the priority list. Something to do only if you are in a highly aggressive market and have some extra time on your hands while you are waiting for customers to come to your door.

Most sites don’t, in fact, use them. Even sites where the company has the budget for it do not use them much, unless there is a reason for using them that benefits the site visitor.

When link space is limited, and you need a little more explanation, a tooltip can give it that in a way that helps your visitors navigate your site better. And that is the best reason to use them.