Story Based Question
You run a fashion e-commerce website, and you’ve optimized your site for voice search. However, you realize that some of your product images, like those of your latest summer dresses, aren’t showing up when users search via voice search. You’re confident that these images are important for your customers, but you’re not sure how to make them more voice-friendly, so people can find them with their smart speakers or phones.
Your team wonders: “How do we create voice-friendly alt text for images, so our products are easier to find in voice searches?”
This leads to the key question: How do you create voice-friendly alt text for images?
Exact Answer
To create voice-friendly alt text for images, use descriptive, concise language that clearly explains what the image shows, incorporates relevant keywords, and focuses on how the image fits into the overall context of the content.
Explanation
When optimizing for voice search, alt text becomes even more crucial. Voice assistants rely on clear descriptions to interpret images and convey the right information. Here’s how you can create alt text that’s voice-friendly:
- Use Descriptive and Clear Language
Alt text should accurately describe the image in a way that a person who can’t see it can understand. Imagine you’re describing the image to someone over the phone. This will help ensure that voice assistants can convey the right message when asked about the image.- Action: Instead of using generic text like “image1.jpg” or “summer dress image”, describe what’s in the image. For example: “Model wearing a blue floral summer dress in a sunny park.”
- Keep It Concise but Informative
Alt text should be short, but not too vague. Voice search users expect quick, accurate responses. Providing enough information without overloading the description is key to making your image voice-search-friendly.- Action: Aim for alt text that’s around 10-15 words. For example, instead of “A picture showing a woman in a park standing with a bouquet of flowers and smiling while wearing a colorful dress,” try something simpler like “Woman in a colorful dress holding flowers in a park”.
- Incorporate Relevant Keywords
Keywords help search engines match voice queries with your content, but avoid keyword stuffing. Use natural language and phrases that people would likely say when conducting a voice search.- Action: If your website sells dresses, and you want your images to be found via voice search, use keywords like “blue floral summer dress”, “bohemian-style dress”, or “casual summer outfit”. For example: “Blue floral summer dress worn by model at a beach.”
- Focus on Context and Relevance
The alt text should fit the image’s context on the page. For example, if the image is next to a product description, your alt text should tie into the product details. Voice search engines pull context to deliver the most relevant result.- Action: If an image is part of a summer dress collection page, the alt text should reflect this. For example: “Elegant floral summer dress from the spring collection.” This gives context to the product and ensures that the alt text fits the page’s theme.
- Avoid Overuse of “Image of” or “Picture of”
Many voice search engines already recognize that the content is an image, so repeating “image of” or “picture of” isn’t necessary. Directly describe the content instead.- Action: Instead of saying “Image of a red summer dress,” say something like “Red summer dress with white floral pattern on a mannequin.”
Example
Let’s apply this to your fashion e-commerce website:
Step 1: Use Descriptive and Clear Language
You have a product image showing a model wearing a bright yellow sundress, standing in a garden.
- Fix: You create alt text like: “Model in a bright yellow sundress standing in a sunny garden.” This clearly describes the image, which will be helpful for both visually impaired users and voice search.
Step 2: Keep It Concise but Informative
Another image shows a close-up of a pair of sandals in front of a beach backdrop.
- Fix: You write alt text like: “Close-up of tan sandals on a sandy beach”. It’s short, direct, and communicates the key elements without being overly wordy.
Step 3: Incorporate Relevant Keywords
For your collection page of floral dresses, you want to rank well in voice search for phrases like “floral dresses” or “summer dresses”.
- Fix: One of your product images is a model wearing a floral dress. The alt text could be: “Model wearing a floral summer dress at a park” to include both the product type and the season.
Step 4: Focus on Context and Relevance
You have an image of a dress from your latest spring collection, and it’s part of a blog post about trending fashion for the season.
- Fix: The alt text should fit the context: “Spring floral dress from the 2025 collection displayed on a mannequin”.
Step 5: Avoid Overuse of “Image of” or “Picture of”
Instead of using a generic “Image of a white shirt”, you describe the shirt more effectively by saying:
- Fix: “White button-down shirt with rolled sleeves and subtle checkered pattern.” This is more specific and meaningful for both users and voice search engines.
Creating voice-friendly alt text is an essential step in optimizing images for voice search. By using clear, concise, and descriptive language, incorporating relevant keywords, and considering the context of the image, you can improve the chances of your images being discovered in voice searches. Alt text isn’t just for accessibility—it’s a key part of improving your site’s visibility for voice search!