Why Image SEO and Alt Text Are Crucial
Images are a fundamental part of a great web experience, but search engines cannot "see" images the way humans do. To understand what an image depicts, Google relies on the Alt Text (Alternative Text) attribute.
What is Alt Text?
Alt text is a brief written description of an image. If an image fails to load, the alt text is displayed in its place. More importantly, screen readers used by visually impaired users read the alt text aloud, making it a critical component of web accessibility (ADA compliance).
How Alt Text Affects SEO Ranking
Google uses alt text along with computer vision algorithms and the contents of the page to understand the subject matter of the image. When you provide accurate, descriptive alt text, you increase your chances of ranking in Google Images, which can drive a massive amount of highly targeted organic traffic to your site. Ensure your overall page is healthy by running our SEO Audit Tool.
Best Practices for Writing Alt Text
- Be Descriptive: Describe exactly what is happening in the image.
- Keep it Concise: Aim for 125 characters or less (screen readers often stop reading after that).
- Avoid Stuffing: Do not just list a bunch of keywords. Write naturally. Use our Keyword Density Tool to check your on-page text instead.
- Don't Include "Image of": Screen readers already announce that it is an image.