Story Based Question
You’re working on the SEO strategy for a fashion website that features several hidden images used for decorative purposes in the background or in CSS. While these images are not directly visible to users, they still play a role in the overall design. You’re wondering how to handle the alt attributes for these non-visible images, as you know accessibility is important, but they don’t really need to be described for users. How should you approach adding alt attributes to these images to balance SEO and accessibility?
Exact Answer
For non-visible images used for decorative purposes, you should use an empty alt attribute (alt=””). This informs screen readers that the image has no content to convey and ensures that it doesn’t interrupt the user’s experience. This approach improves accessibility without affecting SEO.
Explanation
Alt attributes (alternative text) are essential for providing context to images when they can’t be seen by all users, particularly those using screen readers. However, not all images require detailed descriptions, especially if they are purely decorative and serve no functional or informative purpose. The key is to differentiate between decorative images and those that need to convey information.
- Decorative Images: Images that are used purely for decoration or design (such as background images or visual enhancements) don’t need to be described for accessibility purposes. If an image does not contribute any valuable information to the content, using an empty alt attribute (alt=””) tells screen readers to ignore it. This prevents unnecessary interruptions for visually impaired users, who would otherwise hear the screen reader trying to read a non-essential image.
- Non-Decorative Images: If the image provides important information or context (for example, a logo, infographic, or product image), it should have a descriptive alt attribute. The alt text should be concise but informative, describing what the image conveys to users who cannot see it.
- SEO and Accessibility Balance: From an SEO perspective, non-visible images used in background or design roles won’t affect your ranking unless they have valuable content or context. For non-visible images, an empty alt attribute ensures that search engines focus on the content that matters, without treating decorative elements as SEO assets.
- Using CSS Background Images: For images applied through CSS (such as background images), it’s important to note that these images won’t be found by search engines or screen readers, so no alt attribute is necessary. However, if the image has a functional role (like a button background), the HTML element itself may need to be accessible.
Example
Let’s say you run an e-commerce website selling accessories, and you have a banner image on the homepage that features a background pattern. This image is purely decorative and doesn’t add any functional value to the content of the page. Here’s how you handle it:
- HTML Image Tag:
<img src=”background-pattern.jpg” alt=”” />
By using an empty alt attribute (alt=””), you’re telling screen readers to skip this image, ensuring a smooth user experience for those relying on assistive technologies. - CSS Background Image: If this pattern is applied as a background image via CSS, you don’t need to worry about alt text at all, as it’s not directly part of the HTML document structure.
- SEO Perspective: Since the image is decorative, search engines won’t see it as an important part of the content. Therefore, you don’t need to worry about its impact on SEO rankings. If it were a product image or a crucial element, then you’d add a proper alt description to help with SEO and accessibility.
By using an empty alt attribute for decorative images, you maintain a balance between accessibility and SEO optimization, ensuring a clean and user-friendly experience for everyone.
Alt attributes are essential for ensuring accessibility, but for non-visible, decorative images, using an empty alt attribute (alt=””) is the best approach. This prevents unnecessary clutter for screen readers while maintaining SEO efficiency.