Alt Text

Alt text (alternative text) is a written description of an image, added through the HTML alt attribute, that describes what the image shows. Its first and most important job is accessibility: screen readers read the alt text aloud so people who cannot see the image still understand it. It also displays if an image fails to load.

For a landscaping company, an image of a finished patio might have alt text like alt="Flagstone patio with fire pit installed in a Cape Elizabeth backyard". A sighted visitor sees the photo; a screen reader user hears that description; Google reads it too.

Beyond accessibility, alt text helps Google understand your images, since search engines cannot "see" a picture the way people can. Good alt text can help your images appear in Google Image search, which sends real traffic for visual businesses like contractors, restaurants, and retailers.

How to write it well:

• Describe the image accurately as if explaining it to someone who cannot see it.
• Be concise — a short, specific phrase beats a paragraph.
• Include a keyword naturally only when it genuinely describes the image; never stuff keywords.
• Skip "image of" — screen readers already announce that it is an image.

The honest order of priority is accessibility first, SEO second. Keyword-stuffed alt text hurts screen reader users and looks manipulative to Google. Write for the person, and the SEO benefit follows. Alt text is one small piece of on-page SEO and overlaps with technical SEO basics.