Let's Talk About Alt Text
You know that little text field you skip when uploading images to your website? The one that says "alt text" or "alternative text"?
Yeah, that one's costing you traffic.
Alt text started as an accessibility feature—a way for screen readers to describe images to visually impaired users. But somewhere along the way, it became one of the most underrated SEO tactics out there. And most people are still getting it wrong.
Why Should You Care About Alt Text in 2025?
It's Not Just About Being Nice
Look, accessibility is important. In the US, the ADA requires websites to be accessible. The UK has the Equality Act. The EU has the European Accessibility Act. Getting sued over inaccessible websites is a real thing that happens to real businesses.
But let's be honest—you're probably reading this because you want better SEO. And that's fine. Because alt text does both.
Google Can't See Your Images (Yet)
Here's the thing: Google's AI is impressive, but it still can't fully "understand" images the way humans do. It needs your help. And that help comes in the form of alt text.
When you add alt text, you're basically telling Google: "Hey, this image is about X." And Google says: "Cool, I'll show this in image search when people look for X."
I've seen sites improve their Google Images traffic by 50-70% just by adding proper alt text. That's not a typo. Fifty to seventy percent.
It Actually Improves User Experience
Ever been on a slow connection and watched images load one by one? Alt text shows up first, giving users context while they wait. It's a small thing, but it matters.
How to Write Alt Text That Actually Works
Forget the textbook definitions. Here's what actually works in practice:
Rule #1: Pretend You're Describing It Over the Phone
If you had to describe this image to someone who can't see it, what would you say? That's your alt text.
Bad: "IMG_2847.jpg"
Still bad: "Image"
Getting there: "A photo"
Good: "Woman working on laptop in coffee shop"
See the difference? The good one tells you what's actually in the image.
Rule #2: Keywords Are Good, Keyword Stuffing Is Death
Yes, you should include relevant keywords. No, you shouldn't turn your alt text into a keyword dump.
Don't do this: "best coffee maker top rated coffee machine buy coffee maker online cheap coffee makers"
Do this: "Stainless steel drip coffee maker with 12-cup capacity"
The second one includes keywords naturally AND actually describes the product. That's the sweet spot.
Rule #3: Context Matters More Than You Think
The same image might need different alt text depending on where it appears.
Example: A photo of a red Ferrari.
- On a car dealership site: "2024 Ferrari 488 GTB in Rosso Corsa red"
- On a blog about luxury lifestyles: "Red Ferrari sports car parked outside luxury hotel"
- On an article about car maintenance: "Ferrari engine bay showing twin-turbo V8"
Same image, different context, different alt text.
Rule #4: Skip the Obvious Stuff
Don't start with "image of" or "picture of." Screen readers already announce it's an image. You're just wasting characters.
Wastes space: "Image of a golden retriever puppy"
Better: "Golden retriever puppy playing in grass"
Rule #5: Decorative Images Get Empty Alt Text
Not every image needs a description. If it's purely decorative (like a background pattern or a design element), use alt="". This tells screen readers to skip it entirely.
Alt Text for Different Situations
E-commerce Product Images
This is where alt text really pays off. Include:
- Brand name
- Product type
- Key features
- Color/size if relevant
Example: "Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 40 running shoes in black and white, men's size 10"
Why this works: It matches exactly what people search for when shopping.
Blog Post Images
Keep it simple and relevant to the article topic.
Example: "Graph showing 40% increase in organic traffic after implementing alt text"
Screenshots and UI Images
Explain what the screenshot shows and why it matters.
Example: "WordPress media library showing alt text field highlighted in red"
Logos
Just use the company name. That's it.
Example: "Spotify logo"
The Mistakes Everyone Makes
Mistake #1: Copying the Caption
If your caption already describes the image, your alt text should add different information. Don't just repeat yourself.
Mistake #2: Writing a Novel
Alt text should be under 125 characters. Why? Because some screen readers cut off after that. Get to the point.
Mistake #3: Ignoring It Completely
This is the biggest one. About 50% of images on the web have no alt text at all. That's a massive missed opportunity.
The Technical SEO Side
Here's what actually happens when you add alt text:
- Google indexes your images for image search
- Your page becomes more relevant for related keywords
- You rank for long-tail queries you didn't even target
- Your images show up in visual search (which is growing fast)
I tested this on my own site. Added proper alt text to 200 images. Within 3 months:
- Image search traffic up 64%
- 12 new keyword rankings
- 3 featured snippets that included images
Your results will vary, but the pattern holds: alt text = more visibility.
Tools That Actually Help
AI-Powered (Like Ours)
Image Describer generates alt text automatically using AI. It's fast, supports 30+ languages, and gives you multiple options to choose from.
Full disclosure: We built it because we were tired of writing alt text manually for hundreds of images. Now we use it for everything.
Manual Checkers
- WAVE: Shows you which images are missing alt text
- Lighthouse: Built into Chrome, gives you an accessibility score
- axe DevTools: Catches accessibility issues before they become problems
How to Measure If It's Working
Track these metrics in Google Search Console:
- Image search impressions (should go up)
- Image search clicks (should go up)
- Average position for image-heavy pages (should improve)
Give it 2-3 months. SEO isn't instant, but the results compound over time.
Real Talk: Is It Worth the Effort?
Short answer: Yes.
Long answer: It depends on your site. If you're running an e-commerce store with 10,000 products, manually writing alt text is painful. Use AI tools. If you're running a blog with 20 images, just do it manually. It'll take an afternoon.
Either way, the ROI is there. Better accessibility, better SEO, better user experience. It's one of those rare things that actually benefits everyone.
Quick Checklist
Before you publish any image:
- Does it have alt text?
- Is the alt text descriptive and specific?
- Is it under 125 characters?
- Does it include relevant keywords naturally?
- Does it add value beyond what's in the caption?
- Did you skip "image of" or "picture of"?
If you answered yes to all of these, you're good to go.
Bottom Line
Alt text isn't sexy. It's not the latest growth hack or viral marketing tactic. It's just a simple HTML attribute that most people ignore.
But it works. And in 2025, with AI-powered search getting better and visual search growing, it's only going to matter more.
So take an afternoon. Audit your images. Add proper alt text. Your future self (and your organic traffic) will thank you.
Want to speed this up? Try Image Describer and generate alt text for all your images in seconds instead of hours.
Last updated: December 21, 2025