Alt Text for SEO: Complete Guide to Image Accessibility and Rankings

What is Alt Text?

Alt text (alternative text) is a description of an image that appears when the image cannot be displayed. It's essential for:

• Accessibility: Screen readers use alt text to describe images to visually impaired users
• SEO: Search engines use alt text to understand image content
• User Experience: Shows when images fail to load

Why Alt Text Matters for SEO

Google Images is the second largest search engine. Optimized alt text helps:

• Images appear in Google Image search results
• Improve overall page relevance
• Drive additional organic traffic
• Enhance user experience signals

How to Write Effective Alt Text

Be Descriptive but Concise

Bad: "image" or "photo123.jpg"

Good: "Golden retriever puppy playing fetch in park"

Best: "Happy golden retriever puppy catching red frisbee in sunny park"

Include Relevant Keywords

Naturally incorporate keywords that match your page content:

For a dog food page: "Golden retriever eating premium organic dog food from bowl"

Describe the Function for Buttons/Links

For functional images, describe what happens when clicked:

Example: "Add to cart button - blue shopping cart icon"

Skip "Image of" or "Picture of"

Screen readers already announce it's an image. Don't waste characters!

Alt Text by Image Type

Product Images

"[Brand] [Product Name] in [Color], [Key Feature]"

Example: "Nike Air Max 90 running shoes in white, cushioned sole"

Team/About Photos

"[Name], [Title] at [Company]"

Example: "Sarah Johnson, CEO of TechStartup, speaking at conference"

Infographics

Summarize the key message or provide a link to full text version

Decorative Images

Use empty alt text (alt="") for purely decorative images that don't add information

Common Alt Text Mistakes

1. Keyword stuffing (looks spammy to Google)
2. Using generic descriptions
3. Leaving alt text empty (except for decorative images)
4. Making it too long (keep under 125 characters)
5. Not matching page context

Use Our AI Alt Text Generator

Writing alt text for dozens of images is time-consuming. Our AI Alt Text Generator automatically creates:

• SEO-optimized descriptions
• Accessibility-compliant text
• Multiple variations to choose from
• Business context-aware suggestions

Alt Text Checklist

• Is it descriptive and specific?
• Does it include relevant keywords naturally?
• Is it under 125 characters?
• Does it match the page context?
• Does it serve users who can't see the image?

Try our AI Alt Text Generator and optimize your images for SEO and accessibility!