What is alt text (and why every image needs it)

Alt text is a short written description of an image, added in the page code, that tells search engines and screen readers what the picture shows. Google cannot see your photos, so without alt text an image is just a blank box to it. Adding a clear description turns every image into something that works for you rather than nothing at all.

In plain English: alt text is you telling Google, in a few words, what is in the picture, because it cannot look at it the way you can.

Why alt text matters

Alt text does three useful jobs at once. It gives Google context about the image and the page around it, which helps the whole page make sense. It gets your images into Google image search, which is its own source of visitors. And it is read aloud by screen readers, so it makes your site usable for people who are visually impaired, which is both the right thing to do and part of accessibility law.

On a site full of untagged photos, all three of those are being thrown away on every single image.

Key point: every image is a small chance to add context and get found. Alt text is how you take it instead of leaving it on the table.

How to write good alt text

Describe what is actually in the image, plainly, as if to someone who cannot see it. Keep it short, a sentence at most. Where it fits naturally, include what the image is about, and for a local business that often means the service and the place. A photo on a Brighton salon's balayage page might be described as balayage colour by a stylist at the salon in Brighton, not just "image1".

Two things to avoid. Do not stuff keywords, because it reads badly and helps no one. And do not describe purely decorative images that carry no meaning, as those can be left blank on purpose.

Where alt text fits in the bigger picture

Alt text is one item on a longer on-page SEO checklist, alongside page titles, headings and structured data. Each one is small on its own, but they add up, and they all need doing on every page rather than just the homepage.

Frequently asked questions

Is alt text a ranking factor?

It is a small one. It will not lift a page on its own, but it adds context that helps Google understand your content, and it is how you rank in image search, which is a real source of traffic.

How long should alt text be?

A short, clear sentence is plenty. If you find yourself writing a paragraph, you are overdoing it. Describe the image and stop.

Should every image have alt text?

Every image that carries meaning should. Purely decorative images that add nothing can be left with empty alt text on purpose, so screen readers skip them.

What happens if I leave alt text blank?

The image still shows, but Google has no idea what it is, you miss out on image search, and anyone using a screen reader gets nothing. It is a quiet gap that is easy to close.

Ready to check your own images?

Missing alt text is something we find on a lot of sites, and one of the easiest things to fix. Our free website assessment checks your images and the rest of your on-page basics, and tells you plainly what needs attention.

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