Alt text

Definition

Alt text, or alternative text, is a written description of an image on a website, which serves to provide context and information to users who may be unable to see the image. This text helps with accessibility, making web content more usable for visually impaired users and also plays a role in search engine optimization (SEO) by allowing search engines to understand the content of images, which can enhance a site's visibility and ranking.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Alt text is essential for improving website accessibility, helping visually impaired users understand the content of images through screen readers.
2. Search engines utilize alt text to index images, which can help improve a website's ranking in search results when relevant keywords are included.
3. Effective alt text should be descriptive yet concise, ideally between 125 characters or less to ensure it conveys the necessary information without being overly lengthy.
4. When images fail to load, alt text is displayed in place of the image, providing context and maintaining user experience on the site.
5. Alt text should not be used for decorative images; only informative images that contribute meaning or context to the content need alt text.

Review Questions

• How does alt text contribute to website accessibility and what are its implications for user experience?
  • Alt text significantly enhances website accessibility by providing descriptions of images for visually impaired users who rely on screen readers. When these users encounter an image on a webpage, the screen reader reads the alt text aloud, allowing them to understand what the image represents. This improves overall user experience as it ensures that all visitors can engage with content meaningfully, regardless of their visual abilities.
• Discuss the relationship between alt text and SEO in enhancing online visibility.
  • Alt text plays a crucial role in SEO by helping search engines understand the context of images on a website. By incorporating relevant keywords into alt text descriptions, site owners can improve their chances of appearing in image search results and thus drive more organic traffic. Search engines consider alt text as an important ranking factor because it provides additional context about the content surrounding the image, contributing to better overall site indexing.
• Evaluate how effective use of alt text can impact both user engagement and search engine rankings.
  • The effective use of alt text can significantly boost user engagement by ensuring that visually impaired users have access to important visual information, leading to a more inclusive web experience. This not only enhances user satisfaction but also increases time spent on the site and reduces bounce rates. On the other hand, well-crafted alt text that includes targeted keywords improves search engine rankings by enabling better indexing of images. Consequently, this dual impact fosters a positive feedback loop where enhanced user engagement contributes to improved SEO performance.

Related terms

Accessibility: The practice of making websites usable for all individuals, including those with disabilities, ensuring everyone can access and interact with online content.

SEO: Search Engine Optimization refers to the strategies and techniques used to improve a website's visibility and ranking in search engine results, increasing organic traffic.

Image Optimization: The process of improving the loading speed and performance of images on a website, which includes using appropriate formats and sizes, along with alt text for better indexing.