Alt Text

Alt Text: Accessibility Meets SEO

Alt text (alternative text) is a written description of an image in your website's HTML. Its primary purpose is accessibility, screen readers read this text aloud to visually impaired users. However, it also serves a crucial SEO function by telling search engines what the image depicts.

Why it matters

• Accessibility: It's the right thing to do and often a legal requirement (ADA/WCAG).
• Context: If an image fails to load, the alt text is displayed instead.
• Image Search: It is the primary ranking factor for Google Images.

How to write good alt text

• Be descriptive but concise: "Golden retriever catching a tennis ball" is better than "Dog".
• Don't stuff keywords: "Dog puppy canine pet dog food" is spammy and unhelpful.
• Context matters: If the image is purely decorative (like a swoosh or divider), leave the alt text blank (`alt=""`) so screen readers skip it.

Treat alt text as a caption for someone who can't see the screen. If you describe the image accurately, the SEO benefits follow naturally.