Core SEO

Alt Text

Niraj Raut 2 min read Core SEO

💡 Think of it like this: Alt Text is like the table of contents in a book. It tells both readers and search engines exactly what each chapter covers before they read a single word.

Quick Facts: Alt Text
Category	On-Page SEO
Difficulty Level	Intermediate
Affects	Rankings, CTR, User Experience
Tools to Measure	Yoast SEO, Rank Math, Hemingway App, Surfer SEO
Related Terms	On Page Seo, Image Seo, Accessibility Seo

How Alt Text Works

Alt text — short for alternative text — is a written description added to the HTML img tag using the alt attribute. I always tell my clients that alt text serves two equally important masters: accessibility and SEO. Search engine crawlers cannot “see” images the way humans do, so they rely on alt text to understand what an image depicts and how it relates to the surrounding content.

Why Alt Text Matters for SEO

Here is what a properly written alt text looks like in code: If you’re unsure how Alt Text is impacting your site, working with an experienced SEO consultant can help you identify the problem and fix it efficiently.

Common Alt Text Mistakes

<img src="kathmandu-seo-audit.jpg" alt="SEO audit checklist for a Kathmandu e-commerce website">

Do’s and Don’ts: Alt Text

✅ Do This	❌ Don’t Do This
✅ Write a unique meta description under 155 characters for every page	❌ Duplicate meta descriptions across multiple pages
✅ Use descriptive, keyword-rich alt text on every image	❌ Leave image alt text blank or use generic filenames like ‘image001.jpg’
✅ Structure content with clear H2 and H3 headings that reflect user intent	❌ Use headings purely for styling — every heading must signal content structure

← Back to SEO Glossary

TL;DR: Alternative text added to an HTML image tag that describes the image for screen readers…

If you remember one thing — focus on how Alt Text affects your users first, then optimise for search engines second.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Alt Text?

An important SEO concept that affects how search engines discover, evaluate, and rank your website

Why does Alt Text matter for SEO?

Alt Text directly influences how search engines understand and rank your pages. Websites that get this right tend to see stronger organic visibility, better crawl efficiency, and more consistent traffic growth over time.

How do I improve Alt Text on my website?

Start by auditing your current setup using tools like Google Search Console, Screaming Frog, or Ahrefs. Identify the gaps, prioritise by impact, and apply fixes methodically. Working with an experienced SEO consultant can help you cut through complexity and see results faster.

Niraj Raut

SEO Consultant & Strategist

SEO consultant helping service businesses in Nepal and beyond grow through organic search. I write about technical SEO, content strategy, and building durable search presence without the fluff.

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