Internal Linking Structure Elements Strategy - Image Map Navigation
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Image maps are assigned to single graphics that enable Web users to access pages of your Web site by clicking on a portion (X and Y coordinate) of the graphic. Images maps are used for two primary reasons, (1) to reduce file download size and (2) to simplify the coding of the links within complex graphics. Let me first explain the first reason given, to reduce file download size. One image takes less time to download then five images. For example you can have one single image with five links within them. That one image might be 10 kb. In contrast five images of the same "on" image might take up a total of 14 kb. For example, each smaller image will have to be published at 3kb each, adding up to a total of 14kb as compared to the same one image totaling 10 kb. The second reason given, to simplify the coding of the links within complex graphics, means that if one has a graphic with links embedded throughout a none uniform design, it is extremely hard to program the links without using an image map. To embed a link in one of the five single graphics, the programmer would have to cut out each one and reprogram the site to lay out the graphics in a uniform manner. This can be very challenging for non-uniform graphics. With image maps you can specify the X and Y coordinates and determine on a click of a particular X and Y coordinate where the user shall be taken.
Now that we understand why image maps are used, let's discuss them in search engine optimization terms. Images maps are complex and look something like this:
<map name="imagemap_code">
<area shape="rect" coords="18, 126, 112, 143" href="page_one.html"
alt="page one">
<area shape="rect" coords="18, 109, 112, 126" href="page_one.html"
alt="page two">
</map>
You can see that there are complex numbers and variables that drive where the user shall be taken. For this reason image maps are not search engine friendly; and if used, one should always use a search engine friendly secondary form of navigation - like hypertext links.
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