- 21-02-2025
- You can read this text in 7 minutes
Image alternative texts (ALT text) – how do they affect SEO and Google ranking?
Many people just starting out with content optimization focus on keywords in headlines or article content, forgetting an equally important aspect – image descriptions, or ALT text. In this article, we'll explain what alt text actually is, why it matters to search engines, and how to properly create it.
What is alternative text (ALT text)?
Alternative text is a short description of an image placed in the HTML code using the alt attribute. Its primary purpose is to provide information about the image’s content in situations where the image cannot be displayed (e.g., due to a poor connection or loading error). Additionally, ALT text is useful for blind or visually impaired users who use screen readers to navigate the page.
Why are alt texts important for SEO?
Better understanding of the website by Google robots
Search engine robots don’t “see” images like humans do—they need textual information to understand what a given image represents. A properly completed alt attribute allows Google to identify the image’s subject matter and relate it to the page’s content.
Appearing in Image Search Results
ALT texts help with Google Image rankings. Well-described images have a better chance of appearing in image search results, which can drive additional traffic to your website.
Improving Accessibility
Alt text is a key element in adapting a website to the needs of people with disabilities. Supporting accessibility is increasingly valued by users and search engines, which promote good user experience practices.
Strengthening keyword context
If the image description is relevant to the page’s topic (and matching keywords), it can help search engines better tailor the entire page to user queries.
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How to create effective ALT texts?
Conciseness and specificity
Alt text is usually a single sentence or even a few words describing the image. Avoid excessive wordiness or artificial repetition of keywords (keyword stuffing). The most important thing is to briefly and concisely explain what the image represents.
Natural keyword placement
If the image is actually related to the keyword (e.g., it shows a product whose name you’re promoting), you can use it in your alt text. First, make sure the description is authentic and useful, not just stuffed with keywords.
Adaptation to the content context
Consider whether the image description aligns with the paragraph or subpage. Ideally, alt text should complement or emphasize the main point. This allows search engines to see consistency between the image and the rest of the page.
Avoid generalities like “picture” or “graphics”
This type of description doesn’t add anything – it’s better to write, for example, “Black trail running shoes” than “Photo of shoes” or “Image showing shoes”.
Most common errors related to ALT text
Empty ALT attributes
Omitting the alternative description causes search engines to miss an important clue about the image’s content, and screen readers cannot convey to users what the image is showing.
Keyword stuffing
Supplementing alt texts with tons of keywords negatively impacts user experience and may be considered spam by Google algorithms.
Duplicate content
When multiple images have identical alt text, search engines won’t be able to extract detailed information about the differences between them. So, try to ensure that each image has a description that reflects its actual content.
Information overload
Alt text should be concise. If you need a longer description for visually impaired users, use other accessibility techniques (e.g., “long description”).
Example of well-written ALT text
Let’s say you run a cooking blog and post a photo of a dish:
- Bad ALT: alt=”delicious food”
- Better ALT: alt=”Plate of pasta with tomato sauce and fresh basil”
Here, the description more accurately reflects what is visible in the photo, and if necessary, it can support keywords related to cooking (e.g., “pasta with tomato sauce”).
How to edit alt text in practice?
In practice, changing alt text depends on the tool you’re using – in CMSs like WordPress, you can do this directly in the media library or when editing an image in a post. Simply find the “Alt Text” field and enter a new description that’s concise, accurate, and consistent with the image’s content. If you’re editing a page in HTML, look for the alt attribute in the <img> tag and replace its value with an appropriate description. Be sure to carefully consider any changes and ensure they fit the context of the site.
Summary
- What is ALT text? A short description of an image in HTML code, visible to search engine crawlers and screen readers.
- Why is it important for SEO? It helps Google understand what’s in an image, supports image search engine ranking, and improves the overall website rating (UX and accessibility).
- How to write alt text? Be concise, specific, and keyword-inclusive whenever possible, but don’t overdo it.
- Biggest pitfalls: Empty alt attributes, keyword overload, repetitive descriptions, and overly long and unspecific text.
❗ Worth remembering!
ALT has many uses – it affects not only SEO but, above all, increases website accessibility. A short description in a few words can not only explain the context of an image but also help search engines interpret the content more precisely. Ideally, alt text should retain natural keywords and reflect the actual content of the image, while avoiding artificial phrase stuffing. This makes your website more user-friendly for both Google robots and users.
Therefore, it's worth approaching alt text creation with the same care as you do the rest of your page. A few minutes spent polishing your alt text can significantly improve your website's usability and help you achieve higher Google rankings and additional image search traffic.
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