Alt Text

What is Alt-Text

Alt-text, short for “alternative text,” is a critical component in digital content accessibility and search engine optimization (SEO). It serves as a textual description of images and other non-text content on web pages. This guide will delve into the core aspects of alt-text, including its definition, importance, implementation, and best practices.

What is Alt-Text?

Alt-text is an attribute added to the HTML code of images on websites. It provides a textual description of the image, which can be read by screen readers used by visually impaired users. In the absence of a visual context, alt-text ensures that all users have equal access to the information conveyed by images.

Why is Alt-Text Important?

1. Accessibility: Alt-text plays a key role in making web content accessible to users with visual impairments. By offering a descriptive narration of images, it ensures that everyone has a comprehensive understanding of the web content, aligning with the principles of inclusive design.

2. SEO Benefits: Search engines, like Google, crawl and understand web content better with the help of alt-text. It provides search engines with the context of images, contributing to more accurate indexing and helping web pages rank in image searches.

3. Enhanced User Experience: When images fail to load due to slow connection speeds or coding errors, alt-text is displayed in place of the image. This ensures that the message the image intended to convey is not lost, thereby maintaining the integrity of the user experience.

How to Implement Alt-Text

Implementing alt-text involves adding the `alt` attribute to the image tag in HTML. The syntax appears as follows:

“`html

“`

The `alt` attribute should contain a concise description of the image. This description should convey the purpose of the image and any text it includes.

Best Practices for Creating Alt-Text

• Be Descriptive: Provide a clear and concise description that conveys the same information or function as the image.

• Keep It Short: Aim for alt-text that is succinct yet informative. Generally, keeping it under 125 characters ensures screen readers handle the text effectively.

• Avoid Redundant Phrases: Using phrases like “image of” or “graphic of” is unnecessary since screen readers already announce the content as an image.

• Include Keywords: When appropriate, incorporate relevant keywords to improve SEO. However, ensure the primary focus remains on providing a meaningful description.

• Ignore Decorative Images: If an image is purely decorative and adds no informational value, it’s best to use an empty `alt` attribute (alt=””). This signals screen readers to skip the image.

Examples of Effective Alt-Text

• Incorrect: ``

• Correct: ``

The incorrect example is vague, while the correct form provides a descriptive and informative account of the image, enhancing both accessibility and SEO.

Conclusion

Alt-text is a cornerstone of web accessibility and plays a significant role in improving the SEO of a website. By following the best practices outlined above, you can ensure your web content is inclusive, accessible, and optimized for search engines. In essence, alt-text not only aids in navigating the digital world for visually impaired users but also enhances the overall user experience and discoverability of your content on the web.