Alt text: what it is and how to optimize it for SEO
Alt text is short for “alternative text.” It is a brief description that you should add to the images on your web pages to let search engines know what they consist of and what elements or aspects appear within them.
Continue reading, in the next lines, we will explain in more detail what alt text is and its importance in SEO .
What is alt text?
Alt text, also known as “alt attribute,” is a phrase that describes not only the content of the images on your web pages, but also their context and purpose.
Content management systems, such as WordPress, provide you with tools to describe the media you upload to your web pages.
This information is then recorded within an HTML code to be read by poland number for whatsapp robots or crawlers that index the information in search results.
What is alt text used for?
Alt text has several functions, including:
Replace an image if the page does not load correctly: If an image does not appear when opening the website, you will automatically be able to read the alternative text and know what it consists of.
Provide accessibility to people with visual disabilities: thus, those with this condition can use screen readers and know when they are in front of an image and what it consists of.
Provide search engines with information that helps them index images: Web crawlers read HTML codes and index multimedia content.
Tips for creating SEO-optimized alt texts
Search engines crawl the “alternative texts” of images to rank them in top results.
Therefore, they play a key role in web positioning (SEO): the most specific descriptions that best relate to user searches are placed first.
So to ensure your alt texts are well-crafted and SEO-optimized , we recommend:
infographic-explaining-five-tips-for-creating-alt-texts
1. Be specific and concise
Describe what you see, without assumptions and be specific. Here are some examples:
monarch-butterfly-perched-on-finger
Very generic:
<img src="mariposa.png" alt="mariposa">
GOOD:
<img src="butterfly.png" alt="monarch butterfly">
Perfect:
<img src="butterfly.png" alt="monarch butterfly perched on a finger">
2. Add the keyword of the article
If you can incorporate a primary keyword or two when describing an image, great! This will help with your SEO.
If you can't, don't overuse this resource. The best alt texts are descriptive and don't try to stuff keywords in a spammy way.
3. Keep it short
Alt text should not exceed 60 characters.
4. Don't start the text by writing “Image of”
Instead, it is preferable that you specify the format of the image, whether it is an infographic, banner, illustration, graph, screenshot, among others.
5. Make sure to add alt text for all your images
Both those of your articles and those of your other web pages.
In conclusion, alternative texts must be written following a series of parameters so that a website can be successfully positioned.