Alt text, also referred to as alt attribute or alt description, is descriptive text that accompanies an image on a webpage. It serves several purposes:
- Accessibility: Alt text is critical for visually impaired users who rely on screen readers to understand the content of webpages. Screen readers convert text on the page to speech, and alt text provides a description of the image for the user.
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Search engines use alt text to understand the content of images and improve image search ranking. Well-written alt text can help your images appear in relevant search results.
- Usability: Alt text is displayed in place of an image if it fails to load for any reason. This ensures users don’t see broken images and can still understand the webpage content.
Here are some key points to remember about alt text:
- Be concise and descriptive: Aim for a short but informative description that captures the essence of the image.
- Focus on function: Describe the purpose of the image rather than just its visual appearance.
- Use keywords naturally: While important for SEO, avoid keyword stuffing.
- Don’t repeat surrounding text: The alt text should provide additional information, not simply repeat the caption or surrounding content.
By including alt text for your images, you create a more inclusive and user-friendly website, and potentially improve your SEO ranking.
