What is Alt Text?
Image alt text is short for 'alternative text'. It is also termed as alt tag. It is a brief description of an image. It is embedded in its HTML code and is part of the <img> tag and is written as.
<img src=“image.jpg” alt=“description of image”>
Alt texts are usually not visible to the audience and appear in place of an image if it fails to load. Alt texts are useful for uninterrupted flow of information if internet connections are slow or problematic. For visually impaired audiences relying on screen reading tools, alt text acts as an essential accessibility tool. Alt texts are important for search engine optimization (SEO) for enhanced ranking of images in the searches and help the audience to reach your website.
Why Should We Use Alt Text?
Alt text is used for various purposes. Some of them are
1. Accessibility for Visually Impaired Users
Alt text is used to ensure that visual content is accessible to visually impaired users. According to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), websites should include descriptive alt texts to images as an equivalent alternative. Alt texts help screen readers to easily convey the image to the user.
2. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search engines read the keywords rather than see images. Therefore, they use alt text to determine what the image is about. Alt texts help the search engines rank your image according to image-specific searches.
3. Maintaining Content Continuity
Alt text enables websites to convey their message even when images are not able to load due to slower internet or other technical issues. This ensures that the flow of information is not hindered by a lack of visuals and the context is properly understood.
4. Legal compliance
Sometimes it is required by the law to ensure web accessibility. Alt texts of images enable websites to comply with global accessibility standards like WCAG and ADA (American Disabilities Act).
Challenges in Implementing Alt Text
Common challenges faced while applying alt text are
1. Generic Description
Using unclear and ambiguous descriptive texts like “image” or “picture” fails to deliver the desired meaning.
2. Keyword Stuffing
Sometimes, to achieve good SEO, content writers put too many keywords in a single graphic. This may cause overcrowding of text and reduce the user experience. It also puts you at risk of being penalized for violating best practices of accessibility.
3. Neglecting Decorative Images
Uninformative graphics, if assigned alt texts, can distract the screen readers from the actual content. Decorative images used specifically for designing the page should have an empty alt attribute (alt= “ ”).
4. Misalignment with Content Context
Writing irrelevant details about a picture can rescue the user experience. Alt text should match with the content of the page and not contain unnecessary information.
Best Practices For Writing Alt Texts
For alt texts to be useful, follow these best practices.
1. Be Descriptive Yet Concise
Keep the alt text brief and to the point. Use less than 125 characters. Avoid too much information and concentrate on essential information.
2. Provide Context
Describe the image according to the context of the surrounding material. Based on the context, determine which parts of the image should be highlighted.
3. Avoid Redundancy
Do not start the text with phrases like “image of”. Reading assistants often mention that what they are describing is an image.
4. Use Keywords Naturally
Use keywords that clearly build a mental picture of the image. Avoid using excessive keywords that may reduce readability and SEO rankings.
5. Handle Decorative Images Properly
Assign an empty alt attribute to decorative images so that screen readers can ignore it when they see it. Not providing an alt text can confuse the screen reader, which may announce the file name.
How to Add Alt Text?
You can add alt texts in different ways depending on the platform
1. HTML Coding
Alt texts can be added directly into the image tag of the HTML coding of the graphic. For example,
<img src=“eample.jpg” alt=“a baby running in the grass.”>
2. Content Management Systems (CMS)
On platforms like WordPress and Squarespace, you can go to Media, then Library, and select the image you want to add alt text to. Find the Alt Text field and write the description of the image.
3. Social Media Platforms
On social media websites, e.g., Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, you can add alt texts to images while uploading them. This allows visually impaired audiences to access social media platforms easily.
Examples of Good Alt Text
1. Informative Image
Image: A close-up of a strawberry jam jar.
Alt text: “A jar of Alpen strawberry jam on a table.”
2. Decorative Image
Image: A checkered pattern used as a page divider.
Alt text: “empty alt attribute.”
3. Functional Linked Image
Image: A printer icon linking to print the document.
Alt text: “print.”
4. Complex Image (Infographic)
Image: An infographic showing applications of nanoscience.
Alt text: infographic describing applications of nanoscience; health, food, electronics, energy, cosmetics with descriptions.
