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Video Summary
Most people focus on keywords and links, but they overlook a simple SEO boost—image alt text! Let’s breaks down why alt text matters, how it helps Google understand your images, and how to write it the right way.
You’ll learn how to be descriptive without overdoing it, naturally use keywords, avoid common mistakes, and make your site more accessible—all while improving your rankings.
If you want an easy way to drive more traffic, this is it. Watch now and start optimizing your images today!
Video Transcript
Hey, it’s Jeffrey Kirk here. Let me ask you something—when was the last time you thought about image alt text on your website?
If the answer is never or not recently, you’re not alone. Most people focus on keywords, links, and content, but neglecting image alt text means you’re missing out on an easy SEO win.
Alt text helps search engines understand your images, and when done right, it can help boost your rankings and make your website more accessible. So today, I’m going to walk you through exactly how to write effective image alt text—what works, what doesn’t, and how to use it to maximize your SEO results. Let’s start at the beginning…
What is Image Alt Text, and Why Does It Matter?
Alt text, or alternative text, is a description of an image embedded in your website’s code. It basically serves two main purposes:
- It helps people using screen readers understand what’s in the image.
- It helps search engines interpret your images since they can’t really “see” visuals the way we do.
Now, why does this matter for SEO?
Google is always looking for clues about what’s on your site. Without alt text, Google has little information about your images. But when you add clear, keyword-rich alt text, Google can properly index them, which means:
- Your images can show up in Google Image Search, which drives more traffic to your site.
- Your overall page becomes more relevant in search rankings; and
- You create a better experience for users, which Google rewards with higher rankings.
Now that you know why it matters, let’s talk about how to write great alt text.
First, Be Descriptive Without Going Overboard
Imagine someone can’t see your image. How would you describe it to them in a single sentence? For example, if your image is a pizza, writing just “pizza” isn’t enough.
On the other hand, saying “A delicious, hot pepperoni pizza with gooey cheese and a crispy crust, fresh out of the oven on a Tuesday afternoon with extra cheese and some parsley sprinkled on top” is way too much. A good alt text example would be: “Pepperoni pizza with melted cheese and crispy crust.”
You’re giving just enough detail to be useful without overloading it.
Second, Use Keywords Naturally
Alt text is a small but valuable SEO opportunity. The trick is to add keywords without forcing them. For example, if your blog post is about the best pizza in Waukesha, instead of saying: “Pepperoni pizza with melted cheese and crispy crust,” you could write: “Pepperoni pizza from the best pizza place in Waukesha.”
It’s natural, it describes the image, and it subtly reinforces the SEO focus of your page. But remember—no keyword stuffing! If you’re just jamming keywords in where they don’t belong, Google will catch it, and it won’t help your rankings.
Third, Keep It Honest and Relevant
One of the biggest mistakes people make with alt text is writing misleading descriptions to try and rank for certain keywords. If you have a photo of sushi, don’t write: “delicious cheeseburger.”
This might sound obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people try to manipulate search engines this way because it worked 20 years ago. But now Google is much smarter than way back then.
Instead, make sure your alt text matches the image and the content of the page. If the page is about healthy eating and the image is a salad, the best alt text would be: “Bowl of fresh vegetable salad with leafy greens and tomatoes.”
Simple, clear, and relevant.
Fourth, Keep It Concise
Search engines prefer alt text with fewer than 125 characters because that’s the limit for most screen readers. So instead of writing: “A person sitting at their desk working on a laptop, with a cup of coffee and some papers scattered around.”
You should shorten it, make it something like this: “Person working at a desk with a laptop and coffee.” You still capture the most important details, but in a concise, scannable way.
Fifth, Don’t say “Image of” or “Picture of”
Google already knows it’s an image, so you don’t need to say “Image of” or “Picture of” in your alt text. That’s just wasting characters.
Instead of: “Image of a mountain landscape with snow-covered peaks.” Just say: “Mountain landscape with snow-covered peaks.” It’s cleaner, and it gets straight to the point.
Now that you know what to do, let’s quickly go over some…
Common Alt Text Mistakes You Want to Avoid
1. Leaving Alt Text Blank
This is probably the biggest mistake. If you’re skipping it altogether, you’re missing out on SEO value and making your site less accessible. Even if you have hundreds of images, it’s worth taking the time to optimize them and get that alt text there.
2. Adding Alt Text to Decorative Images
Not every image needs alt text. If an image is purely decorative and doesn’t add meaning to the content, you can leave it blank or mark it as “decorative.” That way, screen readers will skip over it instead of reading unnecessary descriptions.
3. Keywords Stuffing
I said it earlier, but it’s worth repeating—don’t cram keywords into your alt text just for the sake of SEO. Google is too smart for that. Doing this could actually hurt your rankings. Always write for people first, then optimize for search engines.
Now, I’ll Wrap Up with Some Final Thoughts
Alt text might seem like a small detail, but it plays a big role in your SEO strategy. By following these simple guidelines, you can make your site more accessible to users.
You can help Google understand your images and improve your rankings at the same time. And increase your chances of showing up in Google Image Search, driving more traffic to your site.
So if you haven’t been optimizing your images, now’s the time to start. And if you found this video helpful, please give it a thumbs up, subscribe for more SEO tips, and let me know in the comments what topics you want me to cover next.
Your business deserves to be seen online, and I will help you get there. Thanks for watching, and have a great day!
