The Lost Art of Image Alt Tags
In the vast landscape of the internet, there’s a silent hero often overlooked, a virtuoso in the orchestra of online content—the humble Image Alt Tag.
Within the intricate tapestry of website design and development, where precision is paramount, and every online element serves a purpose, we delve into the forgotten art of crafting meaningful image alt tags and explain why they’re so important.
Let’s delve into the nuanced world where SEO intersects with functionality and raise the curtain on rediscovering this overlooked yet indispensable skill.
Why Do Image Alt Tags Matter?
Accessibility
Image alt tags are crucial for accessibility because they provide a text alternative to visual content, making it possible for individuals with visual impairments or other disabilities to understand and engage with the content on a webpage.
Alt tags also convey the context and purpose of the image within the content. This is particularly important for users who rely on assistive technologies to understand the meaning and relevance of images within the context of the overall page and help users navigate through a webpage by providing information about the purpose of each image, helping them understand the layout and structure of the content.
Image alt tags not only provide support for screen readers, but in cases where images cannot be displayed due to slow internet connections, browser settings, or other reasons, the alt text serves as a substitute, ensuring that users still receive meaningful information even if they can’t view the images, helping them to still engage with your site and giving them a good user experience.
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) recommend providing alternative text for non-text content, including images, to ensure that websites are more inclusive and accessible to a wider range of users.
SEO
Search engines rely on algorithms to understand and index the content of web pages. While they are adept at analyzing text, they struggle with interpreting images. Alt tags provide a text description of images, allowing search engines to comprehend the content and context. This, in turn, helps search engines index your content more accurately and serve it to users more frequently.
Including relevant keywords in your image alt tags can enhance the overall keyword relevance of your webpage. When users search for specific terms, search engines consider the alt text associated with images, increasing the chances of your page appearing in relevant search results, including image results.
Social Media Sharing
Similar to web accessibility, social media platforms aim to make content available to a diverse audience. When users share your content on social media, the alt text often serves as the default image description. Crafting well-thought-out alt tags ensures that the shared content provides accurate and compelling descriptions, improving the overall quality of your social media presence.
Quick Tips for Writing Quality Image Alt Tags
According to Google’s John Mueller, image alt tags are an element that calls for common sense; write alt text that briefly but thoroughly describes an image.
You don’t need to include “picture of…” or “image of…”
Describe the image while being as specific as possible
Don’t keyword stuff
Buttons and CTAs within your site need alt tags, too
For a full list of image alt tag best practices and keeping your website accessible, visit the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines or contact Planit today, and we’ll take care of it for you!