You know that images can make blogs more appealing to readers, but did you know that they can also improve your site’s search rankings? While search engines cannot crawl the actual image, they can read the text associated with it. Understanding alt text and how to properly use it can help you optimize your website by making your site’s images more SEO-friendly.
What is alt text?
Alt text is simply any word or phrase that is added to an image tag in HTML. The text serves the purpose of telling visitors to your site what the image is depicting. If the image doesn’t load, viewers will still be able to see the alt text. This makes your site more accessible to all internet users, as alt text allows visually impaired web users to “read” the images using screen readers. In addition, alt text lets search engine crawlers understand what an image is showing, which can help to ensure that your page shows up in relevant searches.
What makes for effective alt text?
The rules of writing good alt text are simple. The alt text should be a specific description of the image, and you should keep the description as short and straightforward as possible—preferably 125 characters or fewer. Don’t use phrases such as “picture of” or “photo of” in the description.
How should keywords be used in alt text?
Alt text is one of the most effective places on your website to place keywords and key phrases. Using keywords in alt text will help to alert search engine crawlers to the topic of your image, making it more likely to turn up in image searches. It’s important, however, to make sure that the keyword is used in a natural way and that it accurately describes the image. Don’t try to overstuff the alt text with multiple keywords.
Are you dissatisfied with the current quality of your online content? Pennington Creative can provide you with the smart and engaging content you need to stand out in the crowded and competitive world of the internet. Contact our team today to find out how we can help you strengthen your connection with your customers through blogs, emails, and the other online content services we offer. If you are interested in learning more blogging tips, check out volume 1 of this series, which focused on creating shareable content, and be sure to check back next week for volume 3!
