What is Alt Text (Alternative Text)?

Alt text is an HTML attribute used to describe the content of an image on a web page. It serves multiple purposes in SEO and accessibility. Primarily, alt text provides a text alternative for search engines, which cannot "see" images.

This description helps search engines understand the image's content, which can influence the page's relevance for specific queries, especially in image search results. Additionally, alt text is crucial for web accessibility, allowing visually impaired users who rely on screen readers to understand what an image represents. A well-crafted alt text should be concise, descriptive, and relevant to the image and context in which it appears.

For SEO, including keywords naturally in the alt text can provide an additional relevance signal, but keyword stuffing should be avoided as it can lead to penalties. Alt text contributes to a better user experience, improves accessibility, and supports overall SEO strategy by enhancing the content's relevance and reach.