The Ultimate Guide To Alt Text: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How to Get It Right
YWhen I first started building out my own website, alt text was the last thing on my list.
I was focused on getting words on the page, getting pages published, getting anything live. It wasn’t until I did my first real SEO audit that I realized I had dozens of images with zero alt text — and some with nothing but lazy file names like “IMG_4823.” That was a turning point. Not because I panicked, but because I realized how much I was leaving on the table.
Alt text, short for alternative text, is a written description of an image that serves three key purposes:
- Accessibility: It helps people using screen readers understand visual content.
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO): It tells search engines what your images are about, which can boost your visibility in image search and organic results.
- AI & Answer Engine Optimization (AEO/GEO): Well-written alt text can help AI systems (like Google’s AI Overviews or Bing Copilot) better interpret your content — making your site more likely to be referenced in AI-generated search results.
In this post, I’m answering real questions people are asking about alt text — no fluff, no tech jargon — so you can walk away knowing exactly what to do and how to do it right. And if you want to delegate alt text creation, I’ll also share ways we can work together at the end.
Key Takeaways
- Alt text is crucial for accessibility and SEO: It helps screen readers describe images to visually impaired users and informs search engines about your image content, boosting visibility in image and organic search results.
- Alt text is a strategic element, not an afterthought: Effective alt text is descriptive, context-aware, naturally includes relevant keywords, and contributes to overall page relevancy and keyword rankings.
- There are specific guidelines for writing good alt text: It should be concise (around 125 characters), avoid filler phrases like “image of,” and be tailored to the image’s purpose, including for logos and icons.
- Alt text is important across platforms and can be managed in various ways: While not directly editable within image files or some design tools, it can be added when uploading to platforms like WordPress or social media, and there are tools and services available to help audit and write effective alt text.
What Is Alt Text and Why Should You Care?
What does alt text mean?
Alt text is a brief description added to an image’s HTML code, typically through a tag like alt="Smiling therapist with client." It provides context when an image can’t be displayed or when someone is using a screen reader.
What are alt text tags / alternative texts?
“Alt text,” “alt tags,” and “alternative text” all refer to the same thing. These terms are used interchangeably to describe the text added to describe the contents of an image.
Is alt text important?
Yes — and this one is personal for me.
I use screen readers to help manage my dyslexia. That means I interact with websites the way visually impaired users do more often than most people realize. When alt text is missing or lazy, I feel it. A screen reader announcing “image” or a jumbled file name breaks the experience completely. Accessibility stopped being abstract for me the moment I understood that my own brain needed it.
So when I say alt text matters, it’s not because I read it in a best practices guide. It’s because I live it.
For service-based businesses, alt text supports:
- SEO: Helps Google understand your site’s content.
- Accessibility: Makes your site usable by people with visual impairments, learning disabilities, or those who prefer audio content.
Alt text will also display if an image fails to load entirely. So from that reason alone it is worth the effort for every business owner with an online presence — because technology will fail eventually.
Is Alt Text Important for SEO?
Is Alt Text Important for SEO?
Is alt text SEO?
Technically, yes. Alt text is a key on-page SEO element. It tells search engines what an image is, improving your visibility. Alt text is just one of many on-page details that, when done consistently, adds up to a stronger site overall. If you want to understand how all the pieces fit together, my complete SEO guide for service providers walks through the full picture.
Is alt text important for SEO?
Yes, especially for image-based search results. When your images show up in Google Image Search or appear alongside blog posts, it’s often because of how well your alt text is written.
Pro tip: Images with strong alt text contribute to your page’s overall relevancy and can support keyword rankings. Think of every image on your site as another small opportunity to signal to Google what your page is about.
- Related Reading: “How Do You Know If Your SEO is Working?”
- Related Reading: “The SEO Slow Burn: How to Measure SEO Results & Performance”
- Related Reading: “How Long Does SEO Take To Work For A New Website?”
Alt Text for Accessibility
Is alt text for screen readers?
Yes. Screen readers read alt text aloud to describe what’s visually shown. It’s essential for blind users or people with certain cognitive differences — and as I mentioned above, people like me who use them as a reading support tool.
Is alt text a legal requirement?
If your website is covered by ADA or WCAG compliance standards (and many business websites are), then yes—alt text is required.
Is alt text required?
For accessibility and compliance? Yes. For SEO? Technically optional—but not if you care about visibility, traffic, or inclusion.
How to Write Effective Alt Text
Before I understood copywriting and SEO, I’d slap on lazy one-liners like “blue couch” or “group therapy photo.” I thought I was checking a box. But as I got deeper into on-page SEO strategy, I realized alt text is copy. It’s not a caption. It’s not a file name. Done right, it:
- Improves image discoverability
- Reinforces your page topic
- Tells search engines you know your stuff
Once I started treating it that way — choosing words intentionally, thinking about what the image was communicating in the context of the page — I noticed my images showing up in Google Image Search for the first time. Small shift, real result.
What should alt text include?
- A concise description of the image
- Context or purpose behind the image
- Relevant keywords (used naturally)
Should logos have alt text?
Yes, especially if the logo links to your homepage. A good example: alt="StressLess Therapy logo linking to home".
Should icons have alt text?
Only if they convey meaning (like a phone or email icon). If they’re purely decorative, use a blank alt="".
- Related Reading: “A Practical Guide to Writing Website Copy For People Who Aren’t Professional Copywriters”
- Related Reading: “Copywriter vs. VA: Are You Wasting Money on Content?”
- Related Reading: “The Brains vs. The Brawn: Why Your Website Needs a Copywriter, Not Just a VA”
Can alt text be too long?
Yes. There are mixed opinions on character count. Some people say stick to 125 characters or fewer. If you can do that in a way that is accurate, informative, and complete, great. But if you have a lot happening in your photo, 125 characters may not cut it. The guideline I go by is: be informative, not novelistic. I also like to include my homepage URL or company name so that when the image is found or referenced, it gets tied back to my site.
| Good Alt Text | Bad Alt Text |
|---|---|
| Descriptive and specific: “Woman in blue blazer leading a group coaching session in a bright office.” | Too vague: “Woman” or “Business.” |
| Context-aware: Matches the purpose of the image in the content (e.g., highlights a service, a product, or a concept). | Irrelevant or off-topic: Describes things that have nothing to do with the post’s content. |
| Includes keywords naturally: “Therapist private practice branding guide on desk.” | Keyword-stuffed: “Therapist, therapy, private practice, coaching, business, growth, strategy.” |
| Concise (under ~125 characters): Just enough to describe the image and support screen readers. | Too long or overly detailed: Paragraph-length descriptions that overwhelm or distract. |
| No filler phrases: Doesn’t say “Image of…” or “Picture of…” | Redundant phrases: “Photo of a therapist in her office” (just describe the image instead). |
| Accessibility-first: Considers screen reader experience and helps users visualize what’s important. | Decorative or empty: Leaves alt text blank for meaningful images or uses “null” without cause. |
| Functional for logos/icons: “StressLess Therapist logo – calming wave icon” (when appropriate) | Missing from logos/icons: Skipping alt text for branding or navigation elements. |
| Consistent tone/voice: Matches the brand style or copy voice used across the site. | Jarring tone: Formal, generic, or robotic descriptions that don’t fit your brand. |
Best Practices Checklist:
- ✅ Be specific and relevant
- ✅ Skip “image of” or “picture of”
- ✅ Use keywords naturally
- ✅ Consider why the image exists on that page
- ✅ Identifying keywords? Use a tool like Answer Socrates to find the exact language your audience is already searching
Not confident writing your own? I offer a service to write strategic, keyword-rich alt text for your images, making them more discoverable by search engines.
Alt Text on Social Media and Design Platforms
Is alt text visible on Instagram?
Not to the public, but it’s used by screen readers and Instagram’s algorithm. You can add it under “Advanced Settings” when uploading.
Can I add alt text to Reels?
Currently, no. You can only add it to static images on Instagram — not videos or Reels.
Can I add alt text in Canva?
You can add image descriptions to PDFs or presentations for accessibility, but true alt text must be added where the image is hosted — like on your website or a content platform.
Can I add alt text to a JPEG?
Not directly inside the image file. You add it where the image is hosted, like on your website or a content platform.
Can alt text and description be the same?
They can — but that’s a missed opportunity. Use your alt text to serve a specific purpose, like SEO or accessibility. Don’t just copy and paste.
Tools to Help You Get Started
How to check and edit alt text:
- WordPress: In the media library, click on an image to edit the “Alternative Text” field.
- Squarespace: Use the “Image Description” box under image settings.
- Canva: No native alt text support — add descriptions manually where you upload the file.
Want to find weak or missing alt text fast?
Save yourself weeks of work and hire a copywriter to handle it for you. Writing alt text isn’t just about describing what’s in the image — it’s about making sure that description works for your business. A good copywriter knows how to blend clarity, creativity, and strategy to write alt text that’s not only accessible but also SEO-friendly and brand-aligned. The goal is to choose words that reflect your tone, support your content, and signal all the right things to search engines and screen readers.
| Benefits of Outsourcing Your Alt Text To A Copywriter | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Saves You Time | Manually writing alt text for every image can be time-consuming—especially if you’re managing a blog, services page, or product gallery. A pro takes it off your plate. |
| Improves SEO & Rankings | A professional knows how to naturally include keywords, align alt text with page context, and avoid common SEO pitfalls like keyword stuffing. |
| Boosts Accessibility Compliance | Correctly written alt text ensures your site is accessible for users with visual impairments, helping you meet WCAG standards and improve user experience. |
| Increases Traffic from Image Search | Optimized image descriptions make it more likely that your images will show up in Google Image Search and generate click-throughs. |
| Enhances AI Search Visibility (GEO/AEO) | With the rise of AI-generated search results, clean and context-aware alt text helps your content get interpreted and potentially featured in AI summaries. |
| Consistent Voice & Branding | A professional can match your brand’s tone, ensuring alt text doesn’t feel robotic or generic. |
| Avoids Costly Mistakes | Bad alt text (or missing alt text) can actually harm your SEO or exclude users. An expert avoids these traps. |
TL;DR: Don’t Sleep on Alt Text
Alt text might seem small, but it plays a huge role in how people and search engines interact with your website. From supporting screen reader users to increasing traffic through image search, it’s a low-effort, high-reward way to optimize your content.
Start today:
- Audit your homepage or top blog post.
- Add relevant, keyword-rich alt text.
- Make your site more welcoming to everyone.
Ready for next steps?
Want to understand how alt text fits into your full SEO strategy? My complete SEO guide for service providers breaks down every on-page element that moves the needle — from your headings to your images to your internal links.
Ready to hand it off entirely? Download my price and service guide to see how we can work together.
References
Siteimprove. (n.d.). How to add alt text to images. Retrieved from https://help.siteimprove.com/support/solutions/articles/80000863904
Google Developers. (n.d.). Google Images best practices. Retrieved from https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/google-images
Harvard University Digital Accessibility. (n.d.). Describe content in images. Retrieved from https://accessibility.huit.harvard.edu/describe-content-images
Innovation Visual. (n.d.). Why image alt text is important for SEO. Retrieved from https://www.innovationvisual.com/knowledge-hub/knowledge/why-image-alt-text-is-important-for-seo
