Google: Alt Text Is More About Website Accessibility Than SEO
Alt text, or alternative text, is a small but essential part of website design and management. It’s the text that describes the content of images on a webpage, ensuring that people with visual impairments or those using assistive technology, like screen readers, can still understand the visual elements of your site. While there’s often confusion about whether alt text is an SEO feature or an accessibility tool, Google has made it clear: alt text is primarily about accessibility.
Recently, Google’s Search Advocate, John Mueller, reaffirmed this in a Google SEO Office Hours session. According to him, while search engines use alt text to better understand the context of an image, its primary purpose is not to optimise search rankings—it’s to make the internet more inclusive for everyone.
In this blog post, we’ll unpack Google’s clarification, explore the role of alt text in both accessibility and SEO, and share best practices for writing alt text that achieves both goals.
What Did Google Say About Alt Text?
During a recent Q&A session, John Mueller directly addressed the question of whether alt text is an important ranking factor for SEO. His answer was clear: alt text is not primarily an SEO tool. Instead, it is designed to improve accessibility.
That’s not to say that alt text has no SEO benefits at all. It can provide search engines with additional context about your page’s content, and it plays a role in image search. However, the primary reason for including alt text should always be to help users, especially those who cannot visually interact with your website.
Mueller’s statement is a reminder that Google is prioritising user experience and accessibility over technical SEO gimmicks. For website owners, this means focusing on creating meaningful, descriptive alt text that improves usability rather than trying to “game” the system with keyword-stuffing or over-optimised descriptions.
Why Alt Text Matters for Accessibility
Accessibility is one of the key principles of modern web design. Websites should be designed to accommodate users with disabilities, ensuring that everyone can interact with your content equally. This includes:
- Screen Reader Users: For people who rely on screen readers, alt text is essential. It provides an audio description of what’s on the page, allowing them to understand visual elements like photos, charts, and infographics.
- Situational Accessibility Needs: Alt text isn’t just for people with disabilities. It also helps users in situations where images may not load due to slow internet connections or data restrictions.
Without alt text, images are invisible to these users, which can create a frustrating experience and exclude them from fully understanding your website’s content. By including descriptive alt text, you make your site more inclusive and usable for all audiences.
Does Alt Text Help With SEO?
Although alt text is primarily for accessibility, it still has some indirect benefits for search engine optimisation:
- Image Search Optimisation: Google Image Search uses alt text to understand what an image is about, so images with relevant alt text are more likely to appear in search results. This can drive additional traffic to your website, especially if your images are highly relevant to user queries.
- Contextual Signals: Alt text provides extra context for your page’s content, helping search engines better understand the subject of your site. For instance, if your page is about web design services and your images include alt text related to web design, it reinforces the page’s overall theme.
However, it’s important to note that alt text alone won’t have a dramatic impact on your search rankings. Overloading your images with keywords in an attempt to manipulate SEO can result in penalties from Google, so it’s better to focus on creating a natural, user-focused experience.
Best Practices for Writing Alt Text
If you want to write alt text that enhances accessibility and takes advantage of its secondary SEO benefits, here are some tips to keep in mind:
- Be Descriptive but Concise
Write a clear, accurate description of the image that helps users understand its content. Avoid overly long or vague descriptions. For example:- Good: “A businesswoman using a laptop in a co-working space.”
- Bad: “An office setting with a person.”
- Focus on Relevance, Not Keywords
Avoid cramming keywords into your alt text. It should feel natural and helpful to users, rather than designed to manipulate search engines. For example:- Good: “A mobile phone displaying a responsive web design for an e-commerce store.”
- Bad: “Responsive web design, Swindon web design agency, affordable websites.”
- Avoid Repeating ‘Image of’ or ‘Picture of’
Screen readers already identify images, so there’s no need to preface your alt text with these phrases. Instead, jump straight into describing the image. - Use Empty Alt Attributes for Decorative Images
For purely decorative images, you can leave the alt attribute blank (alt=””) so that screen readers skip them. This ensures users aren’t distracted by unnecessary descriptions. - Think About Context
Alt text should make sense within the context of your webpage. If an image supports the main topic, describe it in a way that ties it to the content of the page.
How Accessibility and SEO Work Together
The great thing about focusing on accessibility is that it often aligns with SEO best practices. While alt text should always prioritise user experience, the clarity and relevance of your descriptions naturally benefit search engines too. By writing thoughtful, helpful alt text, you can achieve the best of both worlds: an inclusive website and the potential for improved search visibility.
What Happens If You Don’t Use Alt Text?
If you skip adding alt text, you risk alienating a portion of your audience—those who use assistive technologies. Additionally, images without alt text are less likely to appear in image search results, which could limit your opportunities to attract visitors through Google Images.
For businesses, this isn’t just a missed opportunity; it can also impact your brand reputation. Being seen as inclusive and thoughtful about accessibility can go a long way in building trust and loyalty with your audience.
How O’Brien Media Can Help
At O’Brien Media, we believe in creating websites that are not only visually stunning but also accessible to all users. Whether you need help adding meaningful alt text to your images, auditing your site for accessibility, or improving your SEO strategy, our team has the expertise to guide you through the process.
We understand that accessibility isn’t just a box to tick—it’s a fundamental part of providing an excellent user experience. Our web design and development services ensure that your website meets accessibility standards while performing optimally for your business goals.
Ready to create a more inclusive and effective website? Contact us today to find out how we can help!
