ALT tags: what do they mean for your web copy & content?
Have you ever heard of an alt tag? Often, they are the most overlooked aspect of SEO copy - whether that’s on a sales web page or on a blog post. Because they’re hidden! Well, to many they are hidden. ALT tags are simply bits of text that say exactly what an image is. They are in the source code of a website - and can be read by Google - so they’re super important!
In this blog post I delve into the topic of alt tags and explain how to write them, how to use them and WHY (of course!) you need to consider them in website copy and content.
What actually is an alt tag?
An alt tag is a bit of HTML that tells Google & humans (never forget humans!) what your image is. Here you can see the alt tag for an image used on my website.
Why do you need to use alt tags?
If you can see an image, then why do you need to write copy to describe it?!
Well, there are three reasons...
Firstly, alt tags are for visually impaired users of the internet who use screen readers. The screen will read the alt tag to help the user better understand what is on the webpage.
They help when images don't load. Say if the internet is being slow, instead of an image loading the alt tag will be loaded. So, the user can understand what is supposed to be displayed where the image is lacking.
Super important! Although Google is getting good c. Well not the actual image itself anyway. So, have you ever wondered how Google Images work? Clue: there aren't lots of robots categorising beautiful images on image alone. It's all in the code. The HTML. The alt tags. Google reads the alt tag as a description of what the image is. Having a good alt tag will help improve your chances of ranking for the right things.
How do you use alt tags?
In most CMSs (Content Management Systems - these are the platforms you edit your website in) you will have a feature to add an alt tag. So, when you upload an image you can easily add your alt tag. You can also edit your photos retrospectively so don't worry if you're now thinking "I've never done that!".
In Squarespace, Wix and WordPress (and most likely other CMSs) you can easily format your alt tag (also known as alt text) when you upload your images. It's great SEO practice to get into this habit.
Good to know
Your file name can act as information for Google too. It can act like an alt tag - especially if you're missing an alt tag. So you can rename your file before you upload it. This is good practice, but it's obviously better if you can format your alt tag too.
It’s a lot better to name a file 'Zoe on computer' rather than 'IMG7648' for example.
What's the best way to write an alt tag?
Say what you see
Look at your image
Describe it really well
Close your eyes
Read your description aloud
Ask: Does it work? Does it help you visualise what your image actually is?
An okay alt tag would be: "phone in hand"
An okay alt tag would be: “Zoe Barnett”
A much better alt tag would be: “Zoe Barnett SEO & website copywriter on laptop, sat on cream chair with lilly plant and books in background, laughing at screen”
Then make sure:
Check: are you using keywords?
Yes - great!
If you're not sure have a think about the image again and think will it direct traffic (by traffic I mean people searching on Google) accurately to your website.
But you're not keyword stuffing!
Avoid using keywords for keywords sake though. Make sure you aren't 'keyword stuffing' which means using excessive keywords that do not make sense when read together.
An example of keyword stuffing would be: "instagram analytics insights social media marketing online digital marketing support tips blog advice seo alt tags header tags social network" as an alt tag. Which is ridiculous, obviously. Remember: Google is smart!
Have you made it short & sweet?
125 characters is the recommended length of an alt tag. That's plenty for a good descriptive alt tag
Recap: why format your alt tags?
Alt tags help you improve your chances of ranking in search engines
It's simple - adding alt tags tells Google (who can't read your image file) what the image is. Therefore, if someone is searching for something that matches what your images show - you'll have a chance of ranking for it.
Alt tags improve your website's usability
Usability is hugely important and a large part of your long-term SEO strategy. So, if your website is usable for the visually impaired or those with a slower internet connection you will be a stronger website against a competitors. Remember, as I mentioned in my blog post all about header tags, the more usable your website is the more likely people will hang around. All this data adds to Google's algorithm. Google will understand that your website is of a higher quality - and the chances of you beating your competitor to the top of the rankings will increase.
ALTernatively, you can get some help with alt tags
See what I did there?
Like I'm not so great at puns, not everyone is so great with SEO copy. Usually it's a chore, often you've got more important things to do.
It can be great investment to get some help with SEO copy. Improving your rankings on Google is a long game and not something that happens overnight BUT by making some small tweaks gradually you will start to see some improvements.
Get in touch with me to find out how I can help with your SEO copy.
