When building or managing a website, images are often one of the most powerful ways to grab attention and communicate your brand. But without proper labelling, search engines and some users may never fully understand what those images represent. That’s where alt text comes in.
At Super Digital, we label images with alt text because it improves SEO, accessibility and overall website performance. It’s a small detail that can make a big difference to how your website ranks, how inclusive it is, and how effectively it communicates online.
Alt text, short for alternative text, is a written description added to an image within a website’s HTML code.
Its main purpose is to describe an image when it cannot be viewed. This may happen if:
For example, instead of naming an image ‘IMG_1234.jpg’, good alt text would describe the image clearly, such as:
‘Marketing team discussing SEO strategy in an office meeting’
This gives both users and search engines valuable context about the image content.
Search engines cannot ‘see’ images the same way humans do. They rely on alternative text to understand what an image shows and how it relates to the page content.
It helps improve:
Better Search Engine Understanding
It gives Google additional context about your webpage. This helps search engines understand the relevance of your content and can contribute to stronger rankings for relevant keywords.
Image Search Visibility
Optimised alt text increases the chances of your images appearing in Google Images search results. This can drive extra traffic to your website from users searching visually.
Keyword Relevance
It provides another opportunity to naturally include relevant keywords without keyword stuffing. When used correctly, it supports the overall SEO strategy of the page.
For example, if your page is about website design services, your image alt text might include phrases like:
This reinforces the page topic to search engines.
One of the most important reasons we label images with alt text is accessibility.
Users with visual impairments often rely on screen readers to navigate websites. It allows these tools to describe images aloud, helping users fully understand the content on the page.
Without it, important visuals may be completely inaccessible.
Creating an accessible website is not only good practice – it also demonstrates inclusivity, professionalism and care for user experience.
When images fail to load properly due to slow internet speeds or technical issues, alternative text helps users understand what the image will be.
Instead of a blank space, users will see a text description explaining what the image should display. This keeps the content understandable and prevents confusion.
A website that communicates clearly in all situations creates a more professional and trustworthy experience for visitors.
Make it Descriptive
Clearly explain what the image shows
Keep it Concise
Keep descriptions short but meaningful
Ensure it’s relevant
Ensure the alt text relates to the surrounding page content
Make it Natural
Include keywords only where they fit naturally
Use Context
Describe the purpose of the image, not just the objects inside it.
Bad Examples:
Good Examples:
The better the description, the more useful it becomes for both users and search engines.
Keyword Stuffing
Overloading alternative text with keywords can harm readability and may negatively impact SEO.
Being Too Vague
Descriptions like ‘office’ or ‘computer’ provide little value.
Ignoring Decorative Images
Purely decorative images may not need alt text. In some cases, empty alt attributes are the best option to avoid unnecessary distractions for screen readers.
Writing Excessively Long Descriptions
Alt text should remain concise and easy to understand.
SEO today is about more than rankings alone. Search engines increasingly reward websites that provide strong user experiences, accessibility and clear content structure.
Alternative text supports all three.
By labelling images correctly, businesses can:
It’s a simple but essential part of modern website optimisation.
Alt text may seem like a small detail, but it plays a major role in how websites perform online.
At Super Digital, we believe every part of a website should work harder for your business – including your images. Properly labelled images help create websites that are more accessible, more searchable and more effective overall.
If your website images are missing alt text, now is the perfect time to review and optimise them as part of your wider SEO strategy.
Get in touch with the Super-Er-Os at Super Digital today!