What Image Alt Text Means and How to Use It Effectively

Image alt text, or alternative text, is a brief description added to an image's HTML code. This text is not visible on the webpage but appears in the image's place if the image fails to load. It also helps screen readers describe images to visually impaired users and improves search engine optimization (SEO) by providing context to search engines about the image content.

Why is Image Alt Text Important?

1. Accessibility: Alt text ensures that visually impaired users can understand the content of images through screen readers, making your website more inclusive.
2. SEO: Search engines use alt text to index images, helping your website appear in image search results and improving overall SEO.
3. User Experience: When images fail to load, alt text provides context, ensuring that users can still grasp the message or content of your webpage.

Four Tips for Writing Effective Image Alt Text

1. Be Descriptive and Specific

When writing alt text, aim to be as descriptive and specific as possible. Describe what the image depicts in a way that conveys the same information a sighted user would get. For example, instead of using "dog," write "golden retriever puppy playing with a red ball on a grassy field" or instead of "flower," use "bright yellow sunflower blooming in a garden."

2. Keep It Concise

While being descriptive is important, it's also crucial to keep your alt text concise. Aim for a balance between detail and brevity. Typically, 125 characters or fewer is recommended, as screen readers may cut off longer descriptions. Instead of "a beautiful golden retriever puppy playing with a small, red ball on a green grassy field," use "golden retriever puppy playing with a red ball on grass."

3. Use Keywords Appropriately

Incorporating relevant keywords into your alt text can boost your SEO, but avoid keyword stuffing. Ensure the keywords fit naturally within the description and truly describe the image. If you're optimizing for the keyword "eco-friendly packaging," an alt text could be "recyclable brown cardboard boxes with eco-friendly labels."

4. Avoid Using "Image of" or "Picture of"

Since screen readers already announce an image, starting your alt text with "image of" or "picture of" is redundant. Jump straight into the description to make the most of the limited characters. Instead of "image of a steaming cup of coffee," use "steaming cup of black coffee on a wooden table."

Image alt text is a small but powerful tool that enhances the accessibility, SEO, and user experience of your website. Are you looking for other ways to increase your ranking on the web? Check out our SEO packages: https://waterfrontgraphic.com/seo/

Welcome to the Website Ninja Newsletter & Waterfront Graphic Design!?We provide seamless web and graphic support while you grow your business. We handle everything from start to finish and all the maintenance in between. We outperform in the background as your website partner while you enjoy the spotlight.?See examples of our work on our website waterfrontgraphic.com.