Image Alt Text: Improve Accessibility and Image SEO

Alt text (alt attribute) provides a text alternative for images.

It is essential for screen readers and helps search engines understand image context.

What Is Alt Text?

<img src="team-photo.jpg" alt="Marketing team reviewing campaign dashboard" />

Why It Matters

Alt text supports:

  1. Accessibility for users who cannot see images.
  2. Image SEO context for search engines.
  3. Fallback information when images fail to load.

Best Practices

1. Describe the image purpose

Focus on what matters in context, not every visual detail.

2. Be concise and specific

Short, meaningful phrases usually work best.

3. Avoid keyword stuffing

Write natural descriptions, not keyword lists.

4. Use empty alt for decorative images

If an image is purely decorative, use alt="".

Good vs Bad Examples

Good

<img src="shoe.jpg" alt="Black trail running shoe with red sole" />

Bad

<img src="shoe.jpg" alt="shoe shoe best running shoe cheap running shoe" />

Common Mistakes

  • Missing alt attributes.
  • Repeating file names as alt text.
  • Overly long, unfocused descriptions.
  • Stuffing keywords unnaturally.

Quick Checklist

  • Every meaningful image has useful alt text.
  • Decorative images use empty alt.
  • Alt text is concise and context-aware.
  • No keyword stuffing.

Final Takeaway

Quality alt text improves both accessibility and technical SEO. Treat it as required content, not optional metadata.