Imagine you’re browsing through a visually engaging website, trying to grasp the theme of a particularly artistic page, but you’re using a screen reader due to visual impairments, or the image fails to load. Instead of feeling left out, you’re aided by a concise, descriptive text that paints a vivid picture of the missing image. This is the power of alt text in action. In the realm of SEO and web accessibility, alt text is not just beneficial; it’s essential.
What is alt text?
Alt text (alternative text), also known as “alt attributes,” “alt tags,” or “alt descriptions,” is a concise description embedded in an HTML code to describe the appearance and function of an image on a webpage. It’s used by screen readers for the visually impaired and displayed if an image file is not loaded.
Why is alt text important for SEO?
Alt text enhances SEO by providing better image context/descriptions to search engine crawlers, helping them index an image properly. Here’s how it benefits SEO:
- Improved accessibility: Alt text improves web accessibility by allowing screen readers to describe images to visually impaired users, aligning with web standards and improving user experience.
- Enhanced image SEO: Search engines, like Google, index images based on alt text, improving the likelihood that your images appear in search engine results (image search).
- Context and relevance: Providing relevant alt text helps search engines understand the context of the images and the relevance to the search query, contributing to better SEO performance.
Why is alt text important for users?
Beyond SEO, alt text significantly enhances user experience, especially for those using assistive technologies. Here’s why it’s valuable:
- Accessibility for the visually impaired: It provides a textual alternative to visual information, making your website more inclusive.
- Backup for failed image loads: If an image fails to load due to a bad connection or server issues, the alt text will display, explaining the image’s intended message.
- Enhanced understanding: In educational content, alt text can help explain complex images like graphs and charts.
Maintaining effective alt text across your site
Ensuring effective alt text across your website can be straightforward with these best practices:
- Be concise and descriptive: Describe the image and its context to someone who cannot see it. Avoid stuffing keywords as it can make the text less useful for users.
- Regular updates: Regularly check that your images and corresponding alt texts are up-to-date and relevant.
- Use keywords appropriately: Incorporate relevant keywords naturally in the alt text to boost SEO, but keep them contextually appropriate.
By thoughtfully crafting alt text for every image, your website not only becomes more accessible but also aligns with best SEO practices. Like signposts in a museum, good alt text guides your visitors through the visual stories of your site, ensuring no one misses out on the message you wish to convey.
