Have you ever wondered how search engines “know” that the “funny llama memes” you searched for are funny llama memes? It doesn’t! It used the alternate text to “see” the image! The alternate text serves also serves an important role in accessibility, too. So let’s talk about why you need to start using alt text on images, stat!
Why do you need to start using alt text on images?
Reason 1: Accessibility for readers
When you start using alt text on images, you start being more inclusive of your site’s readers. Alt text allows those with visual impairments to “see” the image you have included in your blog post, website, or other forms of written communication. The text allows the user’s screenreading software to describe the image to them. So that means it is important that the words you use in the alt text label accurately and appropriately describe the image and its message.
Accessibility is more than just ensuring that your images have alt text; check out this post to learn about accessibility. And if you want to learn a lot about accessibility, check out the web accessibility guidelines. Added bonus? Designing your site for accessibility also improves search engine optimization for your site!
Reason 2: SEO benefit for your site
Regarding search engine optimization, let’s look into why it helps your site get found by Google, Bing, etc., if alt text is applied to your images. If you include an image in your blog post or on your website, more than likely has a purpose tied to the post or page’s content. Therefore, it needs to have the post or page’s keyword(s). This improves the content’s credibility and relevance for that topic as a factor by search engines when they crawl the internet. It lets them know what your content is communicating and serves your content to people searching for your keywords.
However, SEO is more than just adding alt text to images; learn more on the topic from this post.
Alt is more than just rock!
Have we convinced you why using alt text on images is important for your site? We sure hope so! If not, comment below so we can! Or are you thinking, “oh, no! I have 5 million images on my site and cannot begin to add alt text to them all!” Well, if that is the case, have no fear! We are here to help. Drop us a line, and let’s chat.
