Last updated - December 5, 2024
When using WordPress, optimizing elements like WordPress Image Alt Text is key to improving both SEO and accessibility.
This often-overlooked feature plays a vital role in ensuring your website achieves the visibility it deserves.
In this guide, we will look further into the meaning of alt text, its importance, and how to place it effectively within your content.
What is WordPress Image Alt Text?
WordPress Image Alt Text is the text displayed when an image fails to load on your website. It serves as a description of the image, providing context for users and search engines.
As search engines can’t visually analyze the images embedded in your content, alt text acts as a guide, helping crawlers ensure that the image aligns with the content you’re presenting.
The HTML code of the image looks like this:
<img src="image.jpg" alt="image description" width="650" height="345">
Importance of WordPress Image Alt Text
The importance of image alt text revolves around two key aspects: Accessibility and SEO.
Accessibility: Making your website accessible is essential for attracting organic traffic. Your content should cater to diverse audiences, including those with disabilities.
Adding alt text can help incorporate accessibility seamlessly into the content. Image alt texts are important for people who rely on screen readers and text-to-speech converters.
These plugins read out loud everything on the page and if there are descriptive alt texts, it will give the visually impaired users an idea of the image that is on the web page.
SEO: Alt text plays an important role in SEO because Google values it. Alt texts help Google and other search engines to understand what the image is all about.
A significant portion of web traffic originates from images, making well-optimized alt text crucial for image SEO.
Following best practices for alt text can enhance organic SEO and improve your site’s ranking.
How to Add Alt Texts in WordPress?
Go to WordPress Dashboard > Media Library > Library
Click on the uploaded image and towards the right of the image, you can see the “Alternative Text” and a box right next to it.
Add the respective Alt Text.
Best Practices to Write a WordPress Image Alt Text
Some of the best practices of writing a WordPress Image alt text:
- Be specific: The alt text should convey the essentials of an image.
- Use keywords mindfully: Adding the keywords should be done carefully. The keywords need to be added only if the image has a connection to the same. If this is not done, it will look like keyword stuffing.
- Adhere to character limit: The alt text should be limited to 125 characters as screen readers cut off at that. This will make sure that the descriptions don’t go overboard.
- SEO plugin metrics: Following metrics from Yoast Seo, Rank Math SEO, etc. make sure that the content is SEO-optimized with relevant alt texts.
Example of a Good Alt Text
Bad Alt Text: Fireworks
Good Alt Text: Fireworks above skyscrapers in the backdrop of a night sky(provides context and makes the image meaningful for users and crawlers).
Conclusion
Making sure that the alt texts are in place is a good step towards perfecting image SEO. Writing a good alt text doesn’t take much time and will help you make your content accessible to a larger audience.
FAQs
- What is the ideal length of an alt text?
There is no character limit per se for alt text for images. But most screen readers cut off at 125 characters and therefore an ideal length can be anywhere below 125 characters.
- Should I use alt text for decorative images?
No, it’s ideal not to use image alt text for decorative images.
- How do I write alt text for charts or complex visuals?
Make sure to stick to relevant information and don’t overload the alt text.
- Is alt text mandatory for all images on my site?
Yes, from an accessibility and SEO perspective, it will be ideal to have alt texts for all images. But refrain from adding them for decorative images.
- How often should I audit my WordPress alt text for SEO?
Audit the alt text for your WordPress site at regular intervals. A good interval for audit will be every 6 months.
