How to Use Alt Text the Right Way (Beginner’s Guide to Image SEO)

When you upload an image to your blog, you aren't just adding a visual element. You are also creating an opportunity to improve your SEO and help people with visual impairments. The secret to doing this correctly is Alt Text.

Alt text (Alternative Text) is a short written description that tells search engines and screen readers what an image contains. Most beginners either ignore it or use it the wrong way. In this guide, we will show you exactly how to write alt text that Google loves.

What is Alt Text?

Alt text is an HTML attribute used in an <img> tag to provide a text alternative for an image. You won't see it on the page itself, but it exists in the "behind-the-scenes" code of your website.

If an image fails to load due to slow internet, the alt text will appear in its place so the user still knows what was supposed to be there. More importantly, it is what Google uses to understand your images since its crawlers cannot "see" visuals like humans do.

How to Write Alt Text (The Right Way)

Writing good alt text is about being helpful, not just "stuffing" keywords. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Be Descriptive: Imagine you are describing the picture to someone over the phone. Instead of saying "dog," say "golden retriever puppy playing with a ball."
2. Keep it Concise: Most screen readers stop reading after about 125 characters. Aim for a short, punchy sentence.
3. Include Your Keyword Naturally: If your blog post is about "Blogging Tips," and you have a picture of someone typing, your alt text could be: "Blogger typing an article about blogging tips on a laptop."
4. Don't Start with "Image of...": Google and screen readers already know it’s an image. Start right with the description.

If you are struggling to write a descriptive tag, you can use our Free Image Alt Text Generator to create a perfect tag in seconds.

Why is Alt Text Important?

Using proper alt text is vital for three main reasons:

• Google Image Ranking: Proper descriptions are the primary way to get your photos to show up in Google Image Search, which can bring significant extra traffic to your site.
• Web Accessibility: Millions of people use screen readers because they are blind or visually impaired. Alt text allows them to "hear" what your images look like. This makes your site inclusive and professional.
• Relevance Signals: When your alt text matches your article content, it sends a strong signal to Google that your entire page is highly relevant to your target topic.

Examples: Good vs. Bad Alt Text

Let's look at an image of a chocolate cake on a plate.

• ❌ Bad: alt="cake" (Too vague)
• ❌ Bad: alt="chocolate cake recipe best chocolate cake easy chocolate cake" (Keyword stuffing—Google hates this!)
• ✅ Good: alt="Slices of moist chocolate cake served on a white ceramic plate" (Descriptive and helpful).

FAQ

Do I need Alt Text for decorative images?

If an image is purely decorative (like a separator line or a background shape), you can leave the alt text empty (alt=""). This tells screen readers to skip it.

Can I use the same Alt Text for every image?

No. Every image should have a unique description. Using the same text for every photo looks like spam to search engines.

For more free tools to optimize your website, visit Smarter Insights.