Image-replacement and search engine question

[august]

Does CSS based text replacement with graphics affect the page's search engine ranking?

In the cases where you have <h1><span>texttext</span</h1>
h1 {background: url(replace.jpg)}
span {text-indent: -2000px}

Are there any problem with using this technique as far as search engines go? If you want to use fancy graphics to replace text but not sacrifice the page's search engine ranking, is there any problem?

[toicontien]

Not that I'm aware of, but if you disable images using the method above, then there is no replacement text for the image. It's there but invisible. Search engines won't care, but users might who have images disabled, or those with slower connections as the images won't appear very quickly.

A similar but more accessible technique is used on http://www.sdnews.com/ in the right column. The "SD news classifieds", "SD News Business Directory" and "SD News Dining Guide" graphics use the alternate technique. You can disable images and still see the text contained in the image. Try it for yourself.

[august]

what is the alternate technique?

[Kravvitz]

I use and recommend the Gilder/Levin Method of CSS Image Replacement (http://www.mezzoblue.com/tests/revised-image-replacement/index.php#gilderlevin) which uses an empty span element, because it's the method that's still usable with the images disabled and CSS enabled scenario, which to me is more important than the empty span elements.

[toicontien]

The alternate technique is on the page I linked to. This is the part where you learn to View Source and copy someone else's (namely my) code. ;)

A very handy skill. It's how most of us here at the forum have learned some of our skills.