SEO glossary: ALT text

What is an ALT tag?

Alt text is much more than just any element. Nowadays it is an important part of the HTML standards and alternatively known as Alt tag or Alt attribute. If an image or a graphic is embedded on a web page, the Alt
text is also set. It is indispensable to make a page accessible.

 

Ideally, the text describes 1:1 what exactly can be seen on the image or graphic. If an image or graphic is embedded on a web page, the alt text is also set. It is indispensable for making a page accessible. Ideally, the text describes 1:1 what exactly can be seen on the image or graphic.

 

 

What is an ALT tag necessary for?

Thus, screen readers are also capable of reading Alt texts independently and read them aloud. This is a great advantage if, for example, a person with a visual impairment is sitting at the computer.

 

This tells the respective person what is shown on the image. In addition, if for some reason no images are read, the Alt text is displayed at this point.

 

 

What are the advantages of an alt tag in SEO?

Search engines use Alt Text to correctly match the content of an image. Although they index the image for the image search, they still depend on a meaningful description text. This is evaluated by the crawler and the image is listed accordingly in the search results. It is therefore all the more important that an image is provided with a reasonable and meaningful alt text.

 

During on-page optimization, the image must be examined closely and its content entered in the alt tag. If an alt text is missing, in the worst case the visitor can leave the page again, which results in a poor BOUNCE RATE can result. So if you label your images properly with alt texts, you can definitely generate traffic from the image search in the long term.

 

 

Where and how is the alt tag inserted?

Alt texts are a direct part of the HTML source code and are located right next to the corresponding image link.

 

The following is an example:

 

<img src=“/img/dateiname.jpg“ alt=“Relevanter Alt Text“>

 

The alt text is entered directly after the "alt" tag.

 

What content should an ALT tag have?

There are no limits in terms of description and content of an image. However, webmasters should keep in mind to describe an image as precisely and concisely as possible. For example, if the image shows a vanilla sundae with cream, the image can also contain the alt text "Vanilla sundae with cream". A short and precise description.

 

Large graphic areas such as background graphics, on the other hand, do not require an Alt Tag and can be left blank.

 

Tip: If targeted SEO measures are carried out on a subpage, it makes sense to also add the central keyword to the alt text. This gives you extra points in terms of search engine optimization.