How to Add Alt Text to Images for Better Accessibility and SEO

Introduction

Images play a major role in how people experience your website. They make content more engaging, help communicate ideas visually, and support your brand’s message. But if those images don’t include alt text (alternative text), you’re missing an important opportunity—for both accessibility and SEO. Alt text helps visually impaired users understand your images through screen readers and allows search engines to interpret what each image represents. In other words, it makes your site more inclusive and more discoverable.

What Is Alt Text?

Alt text, or alternative text, is a brief written description that explains the content and purpose of an image. It appears in your website’s HTML as an attribute of the <img> tag. For example:

<img src=”coffee-cup.jpg” alt=”A steaming cup of coffee on a wooden table”>

If the image fails to load, the alt text is displayed instead. Screen readers also use it to describe images aloud to users with visual impairments. From an SEO perspective, alt text helps Google understand your images and index them properly, which can improve your rankings in image search results and enhance your overall page relevance.

How to Write Effective Alt Text

Writing alt text is about balance—you want to describe the image accurately while naturally including relevant keywords. Follow these best practices:

Start by describing what’s happening in the image clearly and concisely. Focus on the main subject or purpose rather than unnecessary details. For example, if your photo shows a person typing on a laptop in an office, “Business professional typing on laptop in modern office” is better than “A person sitting at a desk with a computer and papers.”

Keep your alt text short and to the point, ideally under 125 characters. Screen readers often cut off longer text, so brevity ensures the full description is read.

Include a keyword if it fits naturally. For example, if your blog post is about SEO, and the image relates to that topic, you might write: “SEO specialist analyzing website performance on a laptop.” Avoid keyword stuffing—alt text should sound natural and readable.

Skip words like “image of” or “picture of” since screen readers already know it’s an image. Go straight into the description.

If the image is purely decorative and doesn’t add meaning (such as a background pattern or divider line), you can leave the alt attribute empty (alt=””). This tells screen readers to skip it, making the experience smoother for visually impaired users.

How to Add Alt Text in WordPress

Adding alt text in WordPress is simple and can be done in just a few clicks. When you upload an image to the Media Library, you’ll see an Alt Text field on the right-hand side of the screen. Enter your description there before inserting the image into your post.

If the image is already in a post, click on it, select the Block Settings sidebar, and you’ll find the Alt Text (Alternative Text) field. Add or edit the description and update your post. WordPress automatically includes this alt text in the image’s HTML when it’s published.

For those using the Classic Editor, select the image, click the Edit icon (pencil), and enter the alt text in the “Alternative Text” field. Then click Update to save changes.

Adding Alt Text in Other Website Builders

If you’re not using WordPress, the process is just as simple in most platforms:

• Wix: Select the image, click “Settings,” and add your description in the “What’s in the image? Tell Google” field.
  
• Squarespace: Click the image block, select “Edit,” and type your alt text in the “Filename” or “Description” field, depending on the version.
  
• Shopify: Go to “Products,” click an image, and enter alt text in the “Edit Alt Text” field.
  

In every platform, your goal is the same—make your alt text meaningful, descriptive, and relevant.

How Alt Text Helps SEO

Alt text provides Google with more context about your content, helping it understand how your images relate to the page topic. Optimized images with descriptive alt text can appear in Google Images, generating additional traffic to your site.

Furthermore, alt text improves on-page SEO by reinforcing keyword relevance. For example, if your page is about “vegan smoothie recipes” and your images have alt text like “green smoothie with spinach and banana,” Google connects that visual content with your topic, improving your chances of ranking higher.

Optimized alt text also contributes to better site performance in Core Web Vitals because it enhances accessibility and user experience—factors Google increasingly prioritizes in its ranking algorithm.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Alt Text

While alt text is simple to add, many websites make mistakes that reduce its effectiveness. Avoid these common errors:

• Keyword stuffing: Repeating keywords unnaturally makes your alt text look spammy and harms readability.
  
• Overly vague descriptions: “Image1” or “Photo123” provide no context to users or search engines.
  
• Neglecting decorative images: If an image doesn’t serve a purpose, use an empty alt tag (alt=””) rather than leaving it blank.
  
• Skipping alt text altogether: Leaving images without descriptions can hurt accessibility and SEO.
  

Tips for Optimizing Multiple Images

If your page includes several images, use unique alt text for each one to describe its specific content. For example, if you have multiple product photos, mention distinguishing details such as color, size, or style: “Red leather crossbody handbag with gold zipper.”

For blog posts, make sure your main or featured image includes the target keyword, while other images can use variations or related phrases. This approach prevents repetition while still reinforcing your topic’s relevance.

Conclusion

Adding alt text to your images is one of the simplest yet most powerful ways to improve your website’s accessibility and SEO. It helps search engines understand your content while making your site more inclusive for users with disabilities. By writing clear, keyword-relevant descriptions and applying them consistently across your site, you enhance both user experience and search performance. In today’s web standards, adding alt text isn’t optional

To learn how Image SEO impacts your Local Maps ranking: CLICK HERE

Strategic FAQ: Image SEO & Accessibility

Does AI-generated alt text count for SEO? Yes, but only if it’s accurate. Google’s AI is smart enough to detect “generic” AI descriptions that don’t match the image’s context. Always have a human audit your AI-generated tags for tone and brand relevance.

Can I put a long description in alt text? No. If an image (like an infographic) is complex, use the alt text to provide a summary and then provide a Long Description link or a data table directly below the image.

What happens if I forget alt text? The screen reader will read the file name instead (e.g., IMG_2849.jpg). This is a terrible user experience and signals to Google that your site is unoptimized.