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SEO
What are alt texts for images, and how do I write them correctly?
An alt text is a short, invisible description attached to an image in the source code, saying in one sentence what's visible in it. It serves two purposes at once: Google Image Search can only understand and categorise the image via this text, and blind people have it read out by their screen reader — it's their only way of learning the image's content.
Image search only finds described images
Search engines only recognise a photo's content to a limited degree. Whether your image shows a solid-wood kitchen, a construction site, or a team photo, they only reliably learn from the alt text. Anyone who builds kitchens and describes their reference photos with "solid oak kitchen, view of the kitchen island" can be found via Google Image Search — a route to prospects who search specifically for images, for furniture, hairstyles, or garden design, say. An image with no alt text stays invisible to this search. A file name like "IMG_2481.jpg" doesn't help; the alt text is where the description belongs.
For blind visitors, the alt text is the image
A screen reader can't see photos — it reads out the alt text in the image's place. If it's missing, the visitor only hears "graphic" or the cryptic file name, and doesn't know what's shown. For a product photo, that means missing the page's most important information. A good alt text objectively describes what's visible, in one sentence: "Showroom with three sample kitchens" instead of "Image1". Purely decorative images — ornamental lines, say — may carry an empty alt text, so the screen reader skips them. The alt text therefore serves two purposes at once: findability and accessibility.
How we check your images' alt texts
The SEO audit area counts every image on every page examined, and establishes how many of them are embedded with no alt attribute. The report states both numbers — "3 of 12 images with no alt attribute", say — so you can gauge the scope right away. Points are awarded proportionally: the larger the share of undescribed images, the fewer points the page gets on this check point. A page with no images at all naturally passes the check point. Whether the descriptions present are accurate in content is something no machine can reliably judge — that assessment remains a task for the editorial team.
- Get a list of every image with no alt text from your agency, and work through it.
- Objectively describe, in one sentence, what's visible in the image — "Master craftswoman cutting a worktop", say.
- Skip filler phrases like "picture of" — the screen reader already announces that it's a graphic.
- Mark purely decorative images with an empty alt text, so screen readers skip them.
- Going forward, add alt texts right when uploading every new image — it rarely gets done afterward.
FAQ
What is an alt text for images?
A short description attached to an image in the source code, saying what's visible in it — invisible to visitors. Screen readers read the text out to blind people, and Google Image Search uses it to categorise the image. One sentence is enough: objectively describe what's shown, with no filler words like "picture of".
Do all images need an alt text?
Every image with content, yes — product photos, team photos, graphics that convey something. Purely decorative elements like ornamental lines or background patterns get an empty alt text instead; screen readers then skip them instead of reading out file names. Our check counts, per page, how many images are embedded with no alt attribute at all, and awards points proportionally.
Do alt texts help with Google?
Yes, in two ways. Google Image Search can only reliably understand and display your photos via the alt text — a route to visitors of its own for image-heavy industries like furniture, trades, or hospitality. The text also helps the search engine categorise the whole page's content better. The benefit for blind visitors comes on top, independently.