What is alt text, and how does it impact SEO?
Alt text, also known as alternative text, is a way of describing an image to a user that cannot see it. This is an important SEO factor and can have a big impact on how search engines view your website. Contact us to learn more about tempe seo
There are a few things to keep in mind when writing alt text and how it impacts your SEO strategy. The first is that it should be descriptive and specific. This is especially true if your image has context or information that’s important to the page it’s on.
Second, be sure to include keywords that are relevant to the page it’s on. This can be done in the alt text or within your on-page keyword tags, but it’s best to use a mix of both.
Third, try to write your alt text in a natural way that reflects the images it describes. This can be achieved by keeping it short and snappy and avoiding keyword “stuffing.”
4. Make it specific and succinct.
The most important rule of writing alt text is to be specific and concise. This means not using too many words, cramming in as much keyword content as possible, or making it sound overly academic. This isn’t the best practice and can be detrimental to your SEO efforts.
- Use contextually-relevant language and phrases to describe your images
The alt text for this image describes that it’s a hot air balloon flying over a herd of cattle. It’s not the most creative or descriptive, but it provides enough context to help Google understand the image and give users a better UX experience on your site.
- Keep it short and snappy while still providing context
If your images are tagged with alt text, you can easily check that they are optimized for your SEO goals by simply looking at them in a web browser. This will allow you to see if the alt text is optimized for your keywords, or if there’s anything that could be improved.
- Use keywords that are relevant to the image and its host page
It’s a good idea to include a few keywords in your image alt text, as this can give you a little extra boost on search engine rankings. This will help you get in front of the right people with the right content.
However, don’t over-saturate your keywords with them, as this will dilute the impact they have on search engine rankings.
- Avoid using the same alt text on multiple pages
It’s tempting to try and include as many of your target keywords as possible in your alt text, but this can be detrimental to your SEO efforts. This will also prevent search engines from properly indexing your content.
- Keep it short and snappy while still adding context
Finally, it’s a good idea to include your keywords in your alt text if it makes sense for the image and its host page. This will allow you to signal to search engines that your page is highly relevant to a particular query and can potentially increase organic traffic to your website.