SiteOptimizing Images for SEO: A Comprehensive Guide to Alt Text
Images are an essential part of any website, they can make a page more visually appealing and help break up large chunks of text. But images can also play an important role in your website’s SEO. One of the most important aspects of image optimization is using alt text.
Alt text (alternative text) is a short description of an image that is used by search engines to understand the content of an image. It is also used by screen readers to provide context for users who are visually impaired.
What is alt text?
Alt text is also known as “alt attributes” and “alt descriptions.” It is an HTML attribute that is used to provide a text alternative for an image. The alt text should be a concise and accurate description of the image.
Why is alt text important for SEO?
Here are some tips for writing effective alt text:
- Be concise and accurate. The alt text should be a short and accurate description of the image.
- Use keywords where appropriate. If the image is relevant to a specific keyword, you can include that keyword in the alt text.
- Don’t stuff keywords. The alt text should be natural and informative. Don’t just stuff keywords into the alt text in an attempt to manipulate search rankings.
- Use a conversational tone. The alt text should be written in a way that is easy for users to understand.
- Avoid using phrases like “image of” or “picture of.” The alt text should be a description of the image itself, not a description of the fact that it is an image.
Example of good alt text:
<img src=”dog.jpg” alt=”A golden retriever puppy playing in the park.”>
This alt text is concise, accurate, and uses keywords where appropriate. It also avoids using phrases like “image of” or “picture of.”
Example of bad alt text:
<img src=”dog.jpg” alt=”dog”>
This alt text is not very informative. It does not tell the user anything about the image other than the fact that it is a dog.
<img src=”dog.jpg” alt=”golden retriever puppy dog park playing fun cute adorable”>
This alt text is stuffed with keywords. It is not natural or informative.
How to write effective alt text
Here are some tips for writing effective alt text:
- Be concise and accurate. The alt text should be a short and accurate description of the image.
- Use keywords where appropriate. If the image is relevant to a specific keyword, you can include that keyword in the alt text.
- Don’t stuff keywords. The alt text should be natural and informative. Don’t just stuff keywords into the alt text in an attempt to manipulate search rankings.
- Use a conversational tone. The alt text should be written in a way that is easy for users to understand.
- Avoid using phrases like “image of” or “picture of.” The alt text should be a description of the image itself, not a description of the fact that it is an image.
Example of good alt text:
<img src=”dog.jpg” alt=”A golden retriever puppy playing in the park.”>
This alt text is concise, accurate, and uses keywords where appropriate. It also avoids using phrases like “image of” or “picture of.”
Example of bad alt text:
<img src=”dog.jpg” alt=”dog”>
This alt text is not very informative. It does not tell the user anything about the image other than the fact that it is a dog.
<img src=”dog.jpg” alt=”golden retriever puppy dog park playing fun cute adorable”>
This alt text is stuffed with keywords. It is not natural or informative.
How to add alt text to an image with HTML
To add alt text to an image, you can use the following HTML code:
<img src=”image.jpg” alt=”This is alt text“>
You can also add alt text to an image in a content management system (CMS) like WordPress.
Alt text is an important part of image optimization. By using relevant and informative alt text, you can help your website rank higher in search results and make your website more accessible to users who are visually impaired.
I hope this article has been helpful!
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