What Is Alt Text?
Alt text (alternative text) is a written description added to an image in HTML. It’s read aloud by screen readers for visually impaired users and helps search engines understand what an image depicts.
Why it matters
Alt text serves two goals: accessibility and SEO. It makes your site usable for people relying on screen readers (and can be a legal requirement), and it helps images rank in Google Images while giving search engines context about the page. It also displays when an image fails to load. Good alt text is descriptive and natural — not stuffed with keywords.
Example
Instead of alt=“image1.jpg,” a useful description reads alt=“bar chart showing organic traffic growth over six months.” It’s accurate, helpful, and includes a relevant keyword naturally.
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