Situation-Based Question
You’re working with Emma, a small business owner who sells custom-made furniture. She recently revamped her website with high-quality images of her products, but despite her efforts, traffic seems stagnant, and her online store isn’t getting as much attention as she expected. She calls you up and says, “I’ve updated all my product images, and they look amazing! But I’m not seeing any increase in traffic from Google. Someone mentioned alt text for images—what exactly is it, and how can it help with my SEO?”
Exact Answer
An alt attribute (or alt text) is a description added to an image’s HTML tag. It helps search engines understand the content of the image, making it searchable and improving both accessibility and SEO.
Explanation
Emma’s situation is common, and it all comes down to the power of alt text—something many website owners overlook when optimizing their images. Here’s how it works:
- SEO Benefits:
- Search engines can’t “see” images, but they can read alt text. When you add descriptive alt attributes to your images, you help search engines understand what those images are about, making it more likely for them to appear in search results.
- Example: If Emma sells a handcrafted oak dining table, and the image is named something like “oak_dining_table.jpg,” Google won’t have any idea what the image depicts. However, if Emma adds alt text like “handcrafted oak dining table with intricate carvings,” Google can understand the image’s content, making it more likely to show up in search results when people search for furniture or specific types of tables.
- Improving Accessibility:
- Alt text plays a big role in making your site accessible to everyone, including those with visual impairments. Screen readers, which are used by visually impaired users, read out the alt text so they can understand what the images on a website represent.
- Example: If someone with low vision visits Emma’s site and the image of the oak dining table has alt text like “custom-made oak dining table with hand-carved designs,” the screen reader will tell them exactly what they’re looking at, rather than just saying “image” or nothing at all. This improves the overall user experience and makes the site more inclusive.
- Optimizing for Image Search:
- Google has a dedicated image search feature, and alt text helps images get indexed and appear in these search results. This can drive more traffic to your website—especially when users are searching for specific products or designs that match what you offer.
- Example: If Emma’s custom furniture is unique and high-quality, potential customers might search for terms like “custom oak dining tables” or “handcrafted wooden furniture.” By including relevant alt text like “custom oak dining table with elegant design,” her products are more likely to appear in those image search results, bringing in new traffic and increasing visibility.
- Descriptive and Relevant Alt Text:
- The key to effective alt text is keeping it descriptive, relevant, and concise. This is not the place for keyword stuffing. The goal is to describe the image accurately and naturally.
- Example: Instead of stuffing alt text with keywords like “buy custom oak dining table,” it’s better to focus on being specific and descriptive. Alt text like “handcrafted oak dining table with intricate carvings and a polished finish” is more natural, and it still includes important keywords while accurately describing the image.
Example
Let’s say Emma’s website has a product image of a custom-made chair. Here’s how the alt text would work:
- Image: A beautiful, hand-carved wooden chair.
- Alt Text: “Custom hand-carved wooden chair with ornate detailing, perfect for home offices.”
This alt text not only tells Google what the image is about but also makes it more accessible for those using screen readers. Additionally, it helps Emma’s image show up in related search results, driving more traffic to her site.