Table of content
1. What is Alternate text?
2. How does Alt text affect SEO?
3. The importance of Alt text
4. Uses of alt text
1. What is Alternate text?
2. How does Alt text affect SEO?
3. The importance of Alt text
4. Uses of alt text
What is Alternate text?
Alternate text (alternative text) describes the appearance or function of an image on a page. Alternate text is read by screen readers used by visually impaired users, displayed in place of images when they fail to load, and indexed by search engine bots to better understand the content of the page. Alt text used in HTML code or in the corresponding field of a CMS (Content Management System), also known as an "alt attribute", "alt description", or technically incorrect as an "alt tag".How does Alt text affect SEO?
Having alt text for images is very important for search engine optimization and a key factor for search engine rankings. It provides context and informs search engine crawlers so they can index your images correctly. Alt tags help search engine crawlers, and alt tags on images can negatively impact your webpage’s ranking. Alternate text is also important when the browser cannot display the page correctly. In other words, the image does not display on the web page. Instead of an image, the website returns an alt attribute describing the image to display. Not setting the alt attribute means the user doesn't know which image to display, which greatly degrades the user experience. Essentially, alt text helps improve accessibility by explaining what the image represents to visitors who cannot see the image. However, it also helps search engine crawlers, which improves your SEO. The lack of alt attributes on images means that screen readers and browsers have a harder time interpreting your site, and the user experience is poor for visually impaired users. Make your content accessible to all visitors and search engines by setting descriptive alt text for all images on your site.The importance of Alt text
- Improve accessibility
- It can improve "topic relevance".
- Helps you rank in Google Image
- Search Acts as anchor text for image links
Uses of alt text
- Product images should be optimized for site speed and use the same keywords as the product page itself.
- The text should be short for maximum effect. Also, the shorter the alt text, the more likely it will be efficiently indexed by Google and other major online search engines.
- Avoid keyword stuffing.
- Google and other popular search engines discourage such antics.
- Don't prioritize alt tags over SEO results such as titles, links, and meta descriptions.
- Alt tags should only be preferred for pages with lots of images and little text.
How does Alt text affect SEO?
Having alt text for images is very important for search engine optimization and a key factor for search engine rankings. It provides context and informs search engine crawlers so they can index your images correctly. Alt tags help search engine crawlers, and alt tags on images can negatively impact your webpage’s ranking. Alternate text is also important when the browser cannot display the page correctly. In other words, the image does not display on the web page. Instead of an image, the website returns an alt attribute describing the image to display. Not setting the alt attribute means the user doesn't know which image to display, which greatly degrades the user experience. Essentially, alt text helps improve accessibility by explaining what the image represents to visitors who cannot see the image. However, it also helps search engine crawlers, which improves your SEO. The lack of alt attributes on images means that screen readers and browsers have a harder time interpreting your site, and the user experience is poor for visually impaired users. Make your content accessible to all visitors and search engines by setting descriptive alt text for all images on your site.
What is Alternate text?
Alternate text (alternative text) describes the appearance or function of an image on a page. Alternate text is read by screen readers used by visually impaired users, displayed in place of images when they fail to load, and indexed by search engine bots to better understand the content of the page. Alt text used in HTML code or in the corresponding field of a CMS (Content Management System), also known as an "alt attribute", "alt description", or technically incorrect as an "alt tag".
What are the importance of Alt text?
- Improve accessibility
- It can improve "topic relevance".
- Helps you rank in Google Image
- Search Acts as anchor text for image links
How you can use alt text?
- Product images should be optimized for site speed and use the same keywords as the product page itself.
- The text should be short for maximum effect. Also, the shorter the alt text, the more likely it will be efficiently indexed by Google and other major online search engines.
- Avoid keyword stuffing.
- Google and other popular search engines discourage such antics.
- Don't prioritize alt tags over SEO results such as titles, links, and meta descriptions.
- Alt tags should only be preferred for pages with lots of images and little text.