Alt text (alternative text) is a caption of a picture contained within the site’s HTML code that gives data about the picture’s look and purpose. “Alt attribute” and “alt tag” are other terms for alt text.
Importance of Alt Text
The function of alt text is twofold:
Accessibility and User Experience
The alt text’s initial aim was to identify pictures to visually challenged persons who couldn’t see what was said on the screen, making it available to people. Instead of presenting the visual to the viewer, the screen reader examines the image’s alt text and interprets the content.
Image Search Engine Optimization
Alt text is crucial not only from a user experience standpoint, but it may also help with on-page SEO and subject relevancy.
Images can do a lot of things if they have a strong alt detailed description and use the right keywords.• Increase the page’s topical relevance• Act as a possible Google ranking indication
Alt text best practices
Be detailed in writing.
Always be as detailed and exact as possible with the alt text.One should provide a clear and impartial explanation of the picture so that anyone who can’t see the photograph (or a search tool) can understand what’s going on. If the picture contains relevant content, it should also be translated into the alt property — unless the language that borders the image already has it.
Alt text ought to be brief and succinct – no more than a few words. Furthermore, the most of screen readers and browsers ignore alt text that exceeds 125 letters.
Keyword crowding should be avoided.
Do not jam phrases into the text blocks only for the purpose of stuffing terms into the alt text. Keyword overloading might also give search engines the impression that your site is cluttered and just not very beneficial to users. Always start with a true summary of the picture and then (if feasible) add a pertinent keyword after that.
Don’t use the phrase “picture of…”
The caption is already assumed to belong to the image by screen interpreters and search engines. As a result, there’s no requirement to use the term “picture of…” – simply start entering the image’s real description.
Is it necessary to utilise alt text all of the time?
The usage of alt text is not required. Let’s look at some examples of why one should keep the alt tag blank.
Without any text, the illustration is useless.
Many webpages employ graphics or stock photos for aesthetic reasons or just to provide a visual aspect that the user is familiar with. These photographs may appear great and act as ornamental images that communicate an emotional reaction, but they do not give any helpful material for users.
The image is accompanied by text that describes it.
The empty alt property (alt=””) is considered the ideal practise if the image’s explanations and accurate portrayal are supplied in the surrounding context, since adding the same material in the text links would be unnecessary.
Images for decoration
An blank alt text (alt=””) must be used for decorative pictures, icons, visual separators, and so forth. These photos don’t hold any significant information; their sole objective is to enhance the webpage’s aesthetic look.