What is Alt Text?
TL;DR
Descriptive text added to images that tells search engines (and screen readers) what an image shows. Good alt text is specific and includes relevant keywords naturally, "Golden retriever playing fetch at Denver dog park" beats "dog.jpg." It's both an Accessibility requirement and an On-Page SEO opportunity.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Alt Text
What is alt text and why does it matter?
Alt text (alternative text) describes images for screen readers used by visually impaired visitors and tells search engines what images show. It's required for accessibility compliance and helps images appear in Google Image Search.
How do I write good alt text?
Be specific and descriptive: 'Red 2024 Honda Civic in dealership showroom' beats 'car'. Include relevant keywords naturally but don't stuff. Keep it under 125 characters. Describe what's actually in the image, not what you wish was there.
Does every image need alt text?
Informative images need descriptive alt text. Decorative images (purely visual flourishes) can have empty alt text (alt='') so screen readers skip them. Avoid missing alt attributes entirely, that's an accessibility violation.
Terms Related to Alt Text
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