When it comes to SEO, there’s a lot of different things that go into it. There’s not just one thing that makes SEO “work.” There’s keyword research, correct formatting and hierarchy, meta tags, backlinks, alt text, and more.
All the different parts of SEO fall into two different categories: on-page and off-page SEO. Alt text is one of those that falls into on-page SEO, but it’s one of those that confuses a lot of people.
People often aren’t sure what alt text even is, what the purpose of it is, how to write it, and ultimately if alt text really matters for SEO after all. So in this blog post, we’re breaking it all down for you!
What Is Alt Text for SEO?
Let’s start with what alt text for SEO even is!
Alt text, short for alternative text, is a written description of an image stored in a page’s HTML. It sits in the alt attribute of the image tag, so visitors don’t normally see it on the page.
Alt text for SEO means writing that description so it’s accurate for readers and useful to search engines. A good description helps Google understand the image, connect it to the topic of the page, and show it for relevant searches.
You may also see it called an alt tag, alt attribute, or alt description – they all refer to the same thing.
One important distinction to make, however, is that alt text is different from an image title, which appears as a tooltip on hover, and from a caption, which is visible text beside the image.
What Is The Purpose of Alt Text
Alt text was created for accessibility and that’s still its main job, but it serves a few other purposes as well, including some SEO benefits that you don’t want to overlook.
It makes images accessible
First and foremost, alt text serves the purpose of image accessibility. Screen readers read alt text aloud to people who are blind or have low vision. Without it, the user hears only “image” or a file name, and misses whatever the picture was meant to convey.
Accessibility standards such as WCAG require a text alternative for meaningful images!
It helps search engines understand images
Beyond accessibility, alt text also helps search engines understand images. Google uses alt text, along with the surrounding page content and its own image analysis, to determine what an image is about. A clear description gives it a direct signal instead of leaving it to guess!
It helps images rank in image search
Here’s where SEO comes into play! Images with descriptive alt text are more likely to appear in Google Images and in image results on the main search page. For product, recipe, travel, and how-to content, that can be a meaningful source of traffic!
It adds context to the page
Additionally, alt text supports the topic of the page it sits on. When an image is also a link, search engines treat its alt text much like anchor text, so it tells them what the linked page is about.
It fills in when an image doesn’t load
Lastly, and maybe the one that many people tend to overlook, if an image fails to load because of a slow connection or a broken file, the browser shows the alt text in its place, so the reader still gets the point, which is great for user experience!
How To Write Alt Text for SEO
Now that you know what alt text for SEO is and the main purposes of it, let’s dig into how to actually write it because this is the piece that tends to trip people up and then end up not writing it at all – which is the exact opposite of what we want!
The thing about alt text for SEO is that ultimately people just overthink it. But at the end of the day, good alt text simply describes the image accurately in one short sentence.
When thinking about alt text for SEO, here’s a useful test: if you read the page aloud over the phone, what would you say when you reached the image?
Here’s how to go about writing it:
- Describe what’s in the image and be specific.
Specificity is truly KEY when it comes to alt text for SEO! For example, “Golden retriever puppy chewing a red rubber ball” is more useful than “dog.”
- Keep it short.
When writing alt text for SEO, aim for about 125 characters or fewer. Many screen readers pause or cut off around that length, and longer descriptions rarely add value.
- Include your SEO keyword if it fits naturally.
If the image relates to your target keyword, work it into the alt text description, but if it doesn’t fit, leave it out.
The worst thing you can do is try to overstuff keywords in your alt text. A lot of people do this because they think it’ll increase their chance of appearing in search results, but the reality is that a string of search terms is unhelpful to readers (hello accessibility!) and can look like spam to Google (aka won’t help you in terms of search).
- Skip “image of” and “picture of.”
Screen readers already announce that it’s an image, so those words waste space in your alt text for SEO.
- Match the context of the page.
Remember, one of the main purposes of alt text is website accessibility so the description of the image needs to make sense to the viewer in context of everything else they’re reading or hearing.
For example, the same photo of a laptop might be “Marketing manager reviewing a traffic report” on an analytics post and “14-inch laptop on a wooden desk” on a product page.
- Write out text that appears in the image.
If you’re using an image that contains a headline, statistic, or button label, include those words in the alt text!
- Leave decorative images empty.
Dividers, background shapes, and stock flourishes should have an empty alt attribute (alt=””) so screen readers skip them.
- Describe the destination for linked images.
And lastly, if an image is a link or button, say where it goes. For example, if you have a button that goes to your SEO checklist freebie, your alt text should read something like: “Download the free SEO checklist.”
Frequently Asked Questions About Alt Text for SEO
What is alt text for SEO?
Alt text is a short written description of an image, added to the image’s HTML. For SEO, it tells search engines what the image shows so they can index it and connect it to the page’s topic.
Is alt text important for SEO?
Yes, but that’s not the only purpose of alt text! For SEO purposes, alt text is one of the main signals Google uses to understand images, and it helps them rank in image search.
It’s a small factor compared with content quality and links, but it is easy to get right and it also makes your site accessible!
How do you write alt text for SEO?
To write effective alt text for SEO, describe the image specifically in one short sentence, ideally under 125 characters and include a relevant keyword only if it fits naturally and leave out phrases like “image of.”
Should you put keywords in alt text?
Yes, IF the keyword accurately describes the image. If it does, you can use it once, in a natural sentence. Repeating keywords or adding ones unrelated to the image, however, is keyword stuffing and can hurt more than it helps.
What is the difference between alt text and an image title?
Alt text describes the image for screen readers and search engines and shows if the image fails to load. The title attribute shows as a tooltip when someone hovers over the image. Titles are optional and carry little SEO weight, so put your effort into alt text.
SEO Services for Private Practice Clinicians
Overall, alt text is one of the simplest SEO improvements you can make, but the challenge for many people is doing it consistently. Most sites have hundreds of images and missing or keyword-stuffed alt text is often just one of many small issues holding rankings back.
But that’s where Studio Adagio can come in! With our SEO services for private practice clinicians, our team audits your site from top to bottom, from image alt text and page speed to content and technical health, then creates a plan to help you rank higher in search – CLICK HERE to learn more about our SEO services!
And if you’re simply in search of more SEO related resources, we’ve got you covered there too: