What is alt text? Short for “alternative text,” alt text is a written description of a website visual. Alt text pops up if an image fails to load. It allows screen-reading tools to decipher an image for visually-impaired users. And, it can be used as part of an SEO strategy.
Has this happened to you? You attempt to access a website, blog, or article, and the accompanying infographic, photo, or other artwork fails to load. Instead, you’re treated to a brief, two- or three-word text sentence describing the image.
Welcome to the world of web accessibility and its mainstay, the alternative text. Known as “alt text,” and sometimes as “alt tags” or “alt descriptions,” this tool provides users with descriptive, written content, as an alternative to visuals.
Why use alt text?
Alt text serves the following functions:
It is read by text-oriented screen readers, providing image accessibility to the visually impaired
It steps in if an image file fails to download, or if a user doesn’t want to view the image
When used with the right keyword, it can positively impact a website’s search engine results page ranking
Alt text best practices
The basic rules when it comes to creating alt text are: Be brief and be bright. Effective alt text content must be highly descriptive. And, it must be short. As in, less than 125 characters.
Well-crafted alt text, with judicious use of keywords, can also help improve your SERP ranking. But, be wary with keyword overuse. You don’t want to trigger spammy red flags.
Alt text examples
Finally, there are a few ways to input alt text. Some backend website functions list an automatic “alt text” square or box, allowing you to type in your two- or three-word content.
Failing this, you can use the following HTML code:
<img src=”VISUAL.FILE EXTENSION” alt=”VISUAL DESCRIPTION”>
Example: The alt text for a photo of a black cat yawning could be as follows:
<img src=”BlackCatPhoto.jpg” alt=”yawning black cat slit eyes”>What is alt text? Learn how this important accessibility tool enhances your website’s visuals, while potentially improving your search engine rankings. #SEO Click To Tweet
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