What are alt tags and how to optimize them for SEO

How alt tag works

Alt tags, or alternative tags, are descriptive text added to the HTML code of an image. If you've ever seen text appear when an image fails to load on a website, that’s the alt tag at work.

Why alt tags matter for SEO

Boost search engine rankings

Search engines can’t visually analyze images, but they can interpret context through alt text. Including descriptive and relevant alt text helps search engines understand your content, improving your rankings.

Google even uses alt text to decide if an image is relevant enough to show in search results, driving more traffic to your site.

Optimizing for visual search

As Google’s visual search capabilities evolve, more users are relying on images to find information. Alt text gives you an edge in appearing in these image-focused results, ensuring you stay competitive in the search landscape.

Improving On-Page SEO

Alt text contributes to your page's overall relevance. When used correctly, it supports your keywords without overloading your text, helping you rank higher for your target words.

How to write alt text that works

Crafting alt text might sound straightforward, but it takes some finesse to do it well. Here are the best practices:

Use keywords wisely

Incorporate keywords naturally into your alt text, but avoid overloading it with unnecessary repetition and keyword spam since that might hurt your ranking.

Be consise

Screen readers and search engines usually stop reading alt text after 125 characters per image, so keep it concise and descriptive.

Skip the obvious

There’s no need to state that your image is an image, it’s implied. Instead, focus on describing the image and, if possible, include relevant keywords.

If you think it's still unclear, imagine how you would describe what you're seeing over the phone to a friend.

Advanced tips for image optimization

To get the most out of your images, pair great alt text with these additional SEO strategies:

Optimize file names

Rename your image files with descriptive, keyword-rich names. For example:

• Bad: IMG12345.jpg

• Good: modern-office-brainstorming.jpg

Compress images without losing quality

Smaller file sizes mean faster website load times, which is another ranking factor for SEO. There are great online tools to help you out with this. Tools I regularly use.

Think mobile-first

On phones, alt text becomes even more critical. This since an image failing to load is more likely to happen on a phone.

Final thoughts

Alt tags aren’t just an accessibility tool, they’re essential for improving your SEO. By crafting short, descriptive alt text to your images and strategically adding relevant keywords, you’re already setting your website up for success.

To maximize the impact, combine optimized alt tags with other image strategies, like compressing your images. Each small effort adds up, helping your site rank higher and deliver a better experience for all users.

Remember, in the world of SEO, every little detail counts. Alt tags might be small but their impact is huge.