Have you added the right Alt text to images to improve image SEO?
Better SEO techniques lead to better ranking in search engines. Your blogs should be completely SEO optimized, so it drives better traffic through search engines. Here is a simple way to add Alt text to images, which makes your images are SEO optimized.
Many bloggers are usually not using any images in their articles. But the images have much potential to drive better traffic through image search engines and improves SEO.
The human brain processes visuals much faster than the text. So it is always important to include images on your blog posts.
So the images are one of the effective ways to convey the images to the visitors. You can also use infographics to improve SEO and backlinks to your websites.
Table of Contents
What is ALT text?
ALT text is referred to as alternative text. You are giving an alternative name to the image, that defines the purpose of that image. Alt-text is also commonly called as Alt tag or Alt attributes.
This Alt text clearly describes what is present in the image and provides a better description of the Image.
Why ALT text is important for images?
Alt text serves many important purposes.
- It helps the search engines to find, what is present in the images, and also Giving proper Alt text to the image helps to rank your image in search engines.
- The alt tag is useful for visually impaired users, who are using the screen readers to read the article. Here, your Alt text is dictated by screen readers to the users to find a better understanding of the image.
- If an image on your website is not loaded, then the users are shown with the Alt text instead of an image file. So providing a proper readable Alt tag is important.
Google explains about using Descriptive Alt text
Google says the Alt text improves the accessibility for people who uses screen readers and having low bandwidth connections.
Look at the video, what Matt Cutts from Google explains the Alt attribute.
How to choose the proper Alt text for an image with an example
Giving the most relevant Alt description of an image is important. For example, look at the image below.
The ALT text for this image is “CupCake” or give Alt text as “CupCake on a hand”.
Having a shorter and precise alt description is better. Don’t go for a more lengthy alt description, that is not recommended. Having an alt tag of an average of 3 to 7 words is better.
Giving a proper alt tag to the image is your choice.
How to Add alt text to images in WordPress
Manually writing the Alt text for every image is the best way. In wordpress, you can directly add the alt tag to images in the gallery or individually add it in the blog post editor.
Adding the alt text to images in the block editor is the easy way. Before uploading your image to the website, give a proper name to your image file.
Normally, the name of the image will be like “img_0001” by default. So change the name relevant to your image.
Follow these steps to add Alt text to image on WordPress
Step 1: Upload the images to the website and place them on the blog post.
Step 2: Select the image in the block editor. On the right side, you will find a box to add the alternative text under the blocks.
Step 3: Add the Alt text for the image and click update.
How to Add Alt text to images in Html
If you want to add the alt tags to images in Html format, then follow the below line.
For example – Take an image
The html tag for above image will be – <img src=”sneakers.png” alt=”Navy blue sneakers”>
If you are using the image only for decorative purposes, then an alt tag is not needed. In that case, leave it blank.
The alt tag is like – <img src=”sneakers.png” alt=””>
How to write a good Alt text to images
- Give more precise description – You have to specify the images as much as possible. The proper alt text also helps the people who use screen readers to read the webpages. If the used image, doesn’t have any value and only used for decorative purposes, then leave it blank.
- Use keywords in Alt text – Using your relevant alt text is important. Use the keyword, you are going to target on that particular page. However, giving the relevant Alt text helps search engines to indicate that the image is relevant to the content.
- Use Short Descriptions – Using a short description, that clearly explains the image is enough. Sometimes, the screen readers will cut off the lengthy descriptions.
- Avoid Stuffing of keywords – Using the relevant keyword is important, but avoid stuffing it repeatedly. Instead of it, you can use the semantic keywords that are relevant to the main keywords. Stuffing the same keyword, again and again, will lead to a poor ranking of images in the search engines.
- Avoid regular words – Avoid using words like images or pictures, to define the image. It’s because the search engines already know it as an image. So avoid using “It is an Image of”.
Some Alt text example to write in an image
Here are some examples to write the correct alt text for an image. You can precise the description based on the image.
Example image – 1
- Alt text 1 (okay): “CupCake”
- Alt text 2 (better): “CupCake with cream”
- Alt text 3 (best): “CupCake with cream and fruit toppings”
Here both 3 are correct. But the third alternative description gives you the exact thing. So it is the best.
Example image – 2
- Alt text 1 (okay): “Macbook pro”
- Alt text 2 (better): “MacBook Pro with coffee”
- Alt text 3 (best): “MacBook Pro with coffee on wooden table”
Related Resources
- Read – Quick Beginners guide to Image SEO
- Read – 7 Sites to get free high-quality stock images
- Related – Different types of images to use in blog posts
- Related – Best practices of using images in a blog post
Conclusion
To Conclude, adding more relevant images to your articles and blogs is important to attract the readers to read more. Using the images and different types of visuals helps you to give the information in an effective way.
If you already have many images, without alt tag then use plugins like SEO friendly images to add them. This plugin helps you to add the alt and title attributes to the older images quickly
I hope this helps you to add the Alt tag to images more effectively, then If you found it useful, kindly share it with others.
Do you know any other effective way to add Alt text to images? Comment below.
