What Is Alt Text?
Alt text (short for alternative text) is a brief, descriptive attribute added to an image’s HTML tag. Its purpose is to describe the image’s content when the image fails to load or for users relying on screen readers, especially those who are blind or visually impaired.
But alt text isn’t just about accessibility — it’s also a powerful on-page SEO element that helps search engines understand visual content. When written correctly, it contributes to higher rankings in Google Image Search, improves overall page relevance, and enhances user experience.
Why Alt Text Is Essential for SEO
1. Google Reads It — Literally
Google’s crawlers can’t “see” images. Instead, they rely on alt attributes, file names, captions, and surrounding text to understand image content.
When you include descriptive, keyword-rich alt text, it improves the page’s semantic relevance, which can boost your rankings for the associated keyword.
Example:
<img src="example.jpg" alt="A person using a screen reader on a laptop in a modern workspace">
✅ This helps both visually impaired users and search engines interpret the image.
2. Image Search Drives Traffic
According to a Jumpshot and Moz study, over 20% of all web searches happen on Google Images. If your images are properly optimized with descriptive alt text, they can appear in image packs or drive organic traffic from Google Image results.
📊 Stat: Google Image Search accounts for more than 10x the traffic of Bing and is a top organic channel for e-commerce.
3. Improves Page Relevance and Engagement
Good alt text:
Poor or missing alt text leads to:
Best Practices for Writing Alt Text
Good Example:
alt="Visually impaired woman using a braille display on her computer during an online event"Bad Example:
alt="SEO accessibility image picture"
Accessibility + SEO: A Win-Win Strategy
⚡ Real-World Example
E-commerce platform ASOS improved both conversion rates and SEO performance after implementing full accessibility upgrades — including descriptive alt text on all product images. The result? Faster indexation in Google Images and increased engagement among mobile users.
📈 Sites that invest in accessibility see an average traffic lift of 12%, per a WebAIM accessibility case study.
Final Thoughts
Alt text isn’t just an accessibility checkbox — it’s a foundational SEO practice that impacts rankings, traffic, and inclusivity. When done right, it supports:
- Search engine visibility
- User trust and experience
- Legal compliance
- Traffic from Google Images
👉 inklu.app helps creators and communities ensure their digital content is fully accessible and SEO-ready — without the guesswork. Whether you're adding event visuals, media galleries, or content blocks, inklu helps you write better alt text with built-in accessibility support.
Ready to Boost SEO with Better Accessibility?
Join INKLU today and let your content rank higher and reach more people — with inclusive design at its core.