Alt Text
Alt text is a short written description of an image, added behind the scenes. It helps people using screen readers understand your images, and it tells search engines what each picture shows.
Also known as: alt tag · alternative text · image alt text
In plain English
Alt text (short for "alternative text") is a written description attached to each image on your site that visitors don't normally see. It exists for two audiences who can't "see" the picture: people using screen readers, who hear the description read aloud, and search engines, which read it to understand what the image shows. It's a quiet caption working in the background.
Why it matters for your business
Alt text does double duty. It makes your site accessible to people with visual impairments — which is both the right thing to do and, increasingly, a legal expectation. And it helps you get found: it's how your images can appear in Google image search and how search engines make sense of the visuals on your pages. Skipping it leaves both accessibility and a bit of SEO on the table.
A good habit
When you add an image, take a few seconds to describe it plainly in the alt text field. Accurate, natural descriptions help real people and search engines alike — keyword-stuffing helps neither.
Common questions
- Does alt text actually help my SEO?
- Yes, in two ways: it helps your images show up in Google image search, and it gives search engines more context about your page. It's a small thing per image, but across a whole site it adds up — and it's good practice regardless.
- What should I write in alt text?
- Plainly describe what's in the image, as if you were telling someone who can't see it. 'Golden retriever puppy on a blue couch' beats 'IMG_4821' or stuffing in keywords. Accurate and natural is the goal.
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