Have you ever opened an email and the image was slow to load so a line of text might have appeared in the corner of the screen? It might have said '50% promo image' or something along those lines? That's Alt Text. Someone -- or AI -- has captioned that image. Ineffectively, honestly, but the fact there's Alt Text there in the first place is a move in the right direction.
Alt Text is even an abbreviation for "alternative text" or , the brief description which can be added to images on websites or social media platforms to describe the content of the image. Alt Text for images is added before a post or page is published. Most hosting sites or email services will have a field on the 'back end', or where you design your post, where you can upload an image and include Alt Text. And yes, Alt Text can be applied elsewhere on your site like buttons but that involves coding -- nothing to be scared of, but important to note the difference.
In this post the benefits of implementing Alt Text for accessibility and SEO ranking will be explored, as well as 3 key things to consider when you are using Alt Text in your marketing.
Accessibility & SEO:
Including Alt Text in your posting means that your content is more accessible to individuals who use screen readers and can help your ranking for Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
For individuals who use screen readers Alt Text makes your website more 'visual' to them. Their screen reader will scan the webpage or email and be able to read out to the individual, what it finds there. Screen readers can't process images which means that if you are sending an email or webpage which is primarily image -- even image with copy -- your sending a blank page to individuals who use screen readers. Besides this being ableist you are wasting your marketing budget because you are sending a potential customer a buggy or ineffective communication.
Many countries already have or are rolling out laws and regulations that websites should be accessible. The landscape for legal compliance is changing and your business can be ahead of the times if you implement the use of Alt Text now. And it is as easy as remembering to essentially 'caption' a photo with code before posting or sending a communication.
With regards to Search Engine Optimization (SEO) search engines can't 'see' images so if you are using image on your site that could be affecting how you 'rank'. Search engines can read the Alt Text on images so that's one way to improve your ranking.
Writing Your Alt Text:
Once you get into the habit of writing Alt Text it will become just another facet of your steps before publication. But the act of learning the habit is where the trick starts! Here are some tips for how to write your Alt Text:
Be descriptive but concise: Focus on essential details that convey the image's purpose without writing an essay.
Bonus Tip: Avoid describing things as 'A photo of...' Start with the focus of the image i.e. A woman standing in a parking garage.
Include keywords from your SEO: Be sure to look at your SEO keyword list and use those when you're writing Alt Text. This can be a way to get benefit not just from the use of Alt Text but constructive use when the SEO bots go scrolling.
Use proper punctuation: The rules of grammar still apply! Just because you're not assuming that your whole audience will see the Alt Text on a image doesn't mean that it should be presented any less professionally than copy elsewhere on the website or in communications.
Summary:
Alt Text for images on your website or email improves the accessibility of your web presence as well as affects your SEO ranking. Some ways to best utilize Alt Text for images is to be concise but descriptive, use keywords in your descriptions, and proper punctuation.
Get in Touch:
Have a question about Alt Text and how to use it for your website or marketing? Write to us at liz@litirmarketing.com
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